On the night of June 22, the moon will be at a distance of just 356,991 km from the earth and will seem upto 30 per cent larger in the sky thus attracting the interest of astronomers and photographers alike throughout the world.
The ‘Perigree moon’, which in the past few years has been called ‘Supermoon’ by enthusiasts, is an event that occurs a few times every year. The moon which is usually at an average distance of 3,84,000 km will be at its closest on June 22 for 2013 and will coincide with a full moon thus giving rise to the term ‘Supermoon’.
This means that people will be able to see a visibly larger moon when it is at its perigree.
According to Earthsky, an online science magazine, the next time the moon will be so close to the earth will be in August 2014.
“I have tracked Supermoon’s since 2011. I always manage to get amazing pictures of every Supermoon by travelling out of the city,” said Subash Rao, a photographer. “Last year, we headed out towards Nandi Hills and were perfectly placed to capture the Supermoon when it became visible,” he added.
For people with DSLR cameras and removable lenses, the Supermoon gives a chance to capture many detailed pictures up close.
“I use a 600 mm lens and it is just about sufficient for good pictures,” says Mahesh P, another photographer. “It helps if there are clear skies which might be a problem this time around. Either way, I am looking forward to clicking some very good pictures,” he said.