November 2016 Full Moon Supermoon Is Nearest Supermoon Since 1948

Summary: The November 2016 full moon supermoon appears super large Monday, Nov. 14, as the nearest supermoon since 1948.

albedo image of full moon supermoon at 13:52 UTC Nov. 14, 2016; view from 364,766 kilometers above zero degrees north zero degrees west: John Walker/Earth and Moon Viewer, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland

The November 2016 full moon supermoon reaches fullness Monday, Nov. 14, at 13:52 Coordinated Universal Time (8:52 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) and, with closest distance of 356,509 kilometers (221,524 miles) reached 2 hours 29 minutes earlier, rates as the nearest supermoon since 1948.

Perigee, or closest center-to-center distance of Earth and moon, for November takes place at 11:23 UTC (6:23 a.m. EST). November’s closest distance also garners two more achievements. November’s perigee is the closest distance for the year, known as proxigee.

Bruce McClure, EarthSky Tonight lead writer, notes that the distance of 356,509 kilometers qualifies the November 2016 full moon supermoon as the nearest supermoon since 1948. On Monday, Jan. 26, 1948, the full moon supermoon logged a center-to-distance of 356,461 kilometers (221,495 miles).

Bruce McClure points out that January 1948’s perigee of less than 356,500 kilometers will not be bested until Saturday, Nov. 25, 2034. November 2034’s perigee measures a center-to-center distance of 356,445 kilometers (221,485 miles) at 22:07 UTC (5:07 p.m. EST). November 2034’s full moon supermoon becomes full, 26 minutes later, at 22:33 UTC (5:33 p.m. EST).

Neither of the perigees that best 2016’s proxigee in November, however, claims closest perigee for their respective centuries. In lunar perigee and apogee tables on his website, Fourmilab Switzerland, programmer John Walker indicates that the century’s closest perigee, or centennial proxigee, for the 20th century occurred Thursday, Jan. 4, 1912, at 13:34 UTC (8:34 a.m. EST). January 1912’s full moon supermoon was at a center-to-center nearness of 356,378 kilometers (221,443 miles).

Centennial proxigee for the 21st century happens Friday, Dec. 6, 2052, at 8:54 UTC (3:54 a.m. EST). December 2052’s full moon supermoon logs a center-to-center nearness of 356,424 kilometers (221,471.6 miles).

The nearness of the November 2016 full moon supermoon represents a voyage of 50,153 kilometers (31,163 miles) in the lunar orbit since October’s apogee, or farthest center-to-center distance. On Monday, Oct. 31, the moon, in its new phase, marked the month’s and also 2016’s apogee of 406,662 kilometers (252,688 miles).

November’s apogee occurs Sunday, Nov. 27, at 20:09 UTC (3 p.m. EST). November’s apogee of 406,555 kilometers (miles) is the second farthest center-to-center distance for 2016. The closest apogee for 2016 happened Wednesday, July 13, at 5:25 UTC (1:25 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

The November 2016 full moon supermoon ranks as the second or third full moon supermoon for 2016. Controversy over the definition of supermoon fuels the alternative rankings. October, November and December full moon supermoons are secure in their status. September’s full moon, however, is or is not a supermoon.

EarthSky Tonight’s lead writer, Bruce McClure, explains that astrologer Richard Nolle, who coined the term of supermoon in September 1979, considers the definition in a yearly setting. He quotes Nolle’s definition as “. . . a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.”

According to Nolle’s definition, September’s full moon is not a supermoon. The October full moon supermoon kicks off the year-ending spectacle of three successive full moon supermoons.

Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist popularly known as “Mr. Eclipse,” situates the term of supermoon within a monthly setting. According to Espenak’s interpretation, the full moon that occurs Friday, Sept. 16, is a supermoon. With September’s full moon as a supermoon, the November full moon supermoon ranks as the third of four-in-a-row, year-ending full moon supermoons for 2016.

Additionally, Espenak views the full moon that opens new year 2017 as a supermoon. Thursday, Jan. 12’s full moon supermoon, then, closes five successive full moon supermoons and rates as 2017’s first full moon supermoon.

Contrastingly, Richard Nolle identifies Sunday, Dec. 3's full moon, as 2017’s first full moon supermoon. According to Nolle, December 2017's full moon stands as 2017's only full moon supermoon.

The takeaway for the November 2016 full moon supermoon is that the moon’s apparent largeness stems from its status as the nearest supermoon since 1948.

Blue Marble Monthlies map of day and night sides of Earth at instant of full moon supermoon’s turn to fullness, 13:52 UTC Nov. 14, 2016; Earth imagery from NASA Blue Marble Terra/MODIS cloudless Earth and Black Marble night lights images: John Walker/Earth and Moon Viewer, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

albedo image of full moon supermoon at 13:52 UTC Nov. 14, 2016; view from 364,766 kilometers above 0 degrees north 0 degrees west: John Walker/Earth and Moon Viewer, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland @ https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth

Blue Marble Monthlies map of day and night sides of Earth at instant of full moon supermoon’s turn to fullness, 13:52 UTC Nov. 14, 2016; Earth imagery from NASA Blue Marble Terra/MODIS cloudless Earth and Black Marble night lights images: John Walker/Earth and Moon Viewer, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland @ https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth

For further information:

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