CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Monday's supermoon is the first of four this year.
During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn’t bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Monday's supermoon is the first of four this year.
A nearly full supermoon shines behind vegetation in Caesarea, Israel, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Clouds float past a supermoon over the Jhelum River in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
German girls on vacation in Portugal react to the strong wind while watching a nearly full supermoon rise over the Tagus river from the roof the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
People walk in front of a rising supermoon at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A supermoon rises over the horizon of Lake Michigan as a person walks by in Milwaukee, Wis., Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
The supermoon rises above a beer sign during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The supermoon is seen over the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, with an advertising billboard displaying a Russian soldier, participants of the military operation in Ukraine, in the foreground. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A statue of Mercury and supermoon are seen at Kastellet in Copenhagen Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
A statue of Poseidon and supermoon are seen from Kastellet in Copenhagen Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
The supermoon is seen over the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
The super moon rises in the clouds over St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A blue supermoon rises over the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Residents watch the supermoon rise over the "Memorial JK," a monument in honor of the founder of Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
A cable car heads toward Sugarloaf Mountain as the supermoon rises into the night sky in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Aug 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
The sun sets as Shiite pilgrims march on their way to Karbala for Arbaeen in Babil, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
The supermoon appears behind the statue on Place de la République, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
A nearly full supermoon rises in the sky after rain in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
A supermoon rises behind the Burj Khalifa, world's tallest tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The super moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The super moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, south of Athens, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)
A supermoon rises behind the Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
The supermoon rises from behind a resident building in Berlin, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The supermoon rises behind the historical site of Giza Pyramids, near Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
September’s supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October’s will be the year’s closest approach, and November’s will round out the year.
More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
A supermoon is seen over San Francisco from Marin Headlands in Sausalito, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A nearly full supermoon shines behind vegetation in Caesarea, Israel, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Clouds float past a supermoon over the Jhelum River in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
German girls on vacation in Portugal react to the strong wind while watching a nearly full supermoon rise over the Tagus river from the roof the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
People walk in front of a rising supermoon at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A supermoon rises over the horizon of Lake Michigan as a person walks by in Milwaukee, Wis., Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
The supermoon rises above a beer sign during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The supermoon is seen over the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, with an advertising billboard displaying a Russian soldier, participants of the military operation in Ukraine, in the foreground. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A statue of Mercury and supermoon are seen at Kastellet in Copenhagen Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
A statue of Poseidon and supermoon are seen from Kastellet in Copenhagen Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
The supermoon is seen over the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
The super moon rises in the clouds over St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A blue supermoon rises over the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Residents watch the supermoon rise over the "Memorial JK," a monument in honor of the founder of Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
A cable car heads toward Sugarloaf Mountain as the supermoon rises into the night sky in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Aug 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
The sun sets as Shiite pilgrims march on their way to Karbala for Arbaeen in Babil, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
The supermoon appears behind the statue on Place de la République, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
A nearly full supermoon rises in the sky after rain in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
A supermoon rises behind the Burj Khalifa, world's tallest tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The super moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The super moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, south of Athens, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)
A supermoon rises behind the Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
The supermoon rises from behind a resident building in Berlin, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The supermoon rises behind the historical site of Giza Pyramids, near Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
