May 12th sees the last of the year's Micro Moons.
The opposite of a supermoon is a micromoon. That’s when the new or full moon reaches apogee or its greatest distance from Earth. A full micromoon appears about 12-14% smaller than a full supermoon and about 7% smaller than an average full moon.
The Moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, so there are times when it is closer to us and we see the Super Moon. At the other extreme, the Micro Moon appears smaller than normal, because it is farther away. If you miss this one, you will have to wait until next year.
The full moon in May is called the Flower Moon. The flowers
in the fields and in the gardens are now becoming abundant for everyone to see.
www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk
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