“Chicago Tonight” viewer J. Scott Sykora shared this photo of a harvest supermoon eclipse on Sept. 27, 2015.
There hasn’t been a lot to get excited about in 2020, but one bright spot has been the moon, specifically the string of supermoons we’ve enjoyed this spring.
That streak ends with May’s Super Flower Moon, the last supermoon of the year, which will reach the crest of its full moon phase at 5:45 a.m. Thursday. To the naked eye, it will appear equally full Wednesday or Thursday evening, according to NASA.
Supermoons occur when the timing of the full moon coincides with the point in the moon’s orbit when it’s closest to Earth (called the “perigee”). The full moon looks brighter and slightly larger than usual at its perigee.
May’s full moon is also known as the Flower Moon because of the abundance of blooms that typically appear this time of year. Alternative names are the Corn Planting Moon or Milk Moon.
Come June, it’s back to regular old full moons. Considering the way 2020’s been going, a return to normalcy sounds, well ... super.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
