Taking a shine to super moon

Revellers stand beside St Michael’s Tower on Glastonbury Tor on Saturday night, watching the moon at its closest point to the Earth since January 19, 1992.

Clear skies revealed the so-called super moon phenomenon as the moon reached its closest point to the Earth – such an event is known scientifically as a lunar perigee.

A super moon refers to a new or full moon and occurs when the moon has reached its closest position to Earth by 90 per cent or more. The moon was 220,625 miles from London on Saturday, 625 miles closer than it was a month before on February 18.

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When the moon is at its furthest distance from the Earth, referred to as an apogee, it can be as far away as 250,000 miles.

Full moons appear to vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon’s orbit, called an ellipse. picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire.

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