The moon at perigee
The distance of the moon from Earth always changes because the moon orbits in an elliptical orbit around Earth.
The moon reaches perigee, meaning it reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit. Here, “perigee” comes from two words: “peri,” meaning near, and “geo,” meaning Earth.
The moon appears 5 to 8% larger than usual when it reaches perigee.
However, these closest distances vary every time the moon reaches perigee. This is because the orbit of the moon wobbles due to the gravitational perturbations of the sun.
The full moon at perigee
If a full moon occurs at or near perigee, then it’s called a supermoon. A supermoon is about 7% larger than a regular full moon and about 14% larger than a micromoon.
How often does the moon reach perigee?
The moon reaches perigee once every anomalistic month, or 27.555 days. The moon takes 27.555 days to complete one orbit around Earth with respect to the perigee. This is called an anomalistic month.
Now, the moon takes 27.322 days to complete one orbit around Earth with respect to the background stars. This is called a sidereal month. So an anomalistic month is slightly longer than a sidereal month.
When will be the next lunar perigee in 2025?
The moon will reach its next perigee on December 4, 2025, at 11:06 UTC (6:06 a.m. EST).
Distance of the moon: The distance of the perigean moon from Earth will be 356,962 kilometers. The average distance of the moon from Earth is 384,400 kilometers.
Apparent size of the moon: The apparent size of the perigean moon will be 33.48 arcminutes in diameter. The average apparent size of the moon is 31 arcminutes in diameter. So the perigean moon in December 2025 will be 8.0% larger than usual.
Moon phase: The perigean moon will be in the full moon phase and 100% illuminated. So the perigean moon in December 2025 will be a supermoon.
When will the moon be closest to Earth in 2025?
The moon will be closest to Earth on November 5, 2025, at 22:29 UTC, when it will be 356,833 km away. This will be the shortest distance between Earth and the moon in 2025.
Lunar perigee in 2025
Here are all the dates of lunar perigee in 2025, along with their distances, according to NASA:
| Date | Time (UTC) | Distance (km) | Angular diameter (arcmin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 07 | 23:35 | 370173 | 32.28 |
| February 02 | 02:43 | 367457 | 32.52 |
| March 01 | 21:18 | 361967 | 33.01 |
| March 30 | 05:26 | 358127 | 33.37 |
| April 27 | 16:15 | 357119 | 33.46 |
| May 26 | 01:37 | 359023 | 33.28 |
| June 23 | 04:43 | 363178 | 32.90 |
| July 20 | 13:52 | 368047 | 32.47 |
| August 14 | 18:01 | 369287 | 32.36 |
| September 10 | 12:10 | 364781 | 32.76 |
| October 08 | 12:36 | 359819 | 33.21 |
| November 05 | 22:29 | 356833 | 33.49 |
| December 04 | 11:06 | 356962 | 33.48 |
Related article: Lunar apogee 2025: When is the next one?
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