Tonight’s moon is a “supermoon,” the largest full moon in 2022.

The moon visible from the night of Wednesday the 13th to the dawn of Thursday the 14th will be the largest “supermoon” among the full moons visible this year.

Closest and Biggest Full Moon to the Earth this year
2022 Full Moon at different distances

The July Moon will make its closest approach to the Earth at around 6:06 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, and will reach the moment of full moon at around 3:38 a.m. on Thursday, July 14, making it the closest full moon to the Earth in 2022 and the largest full moon of the year.

What is a supermoon?
To begin with, a supermoon is an astrological term, not an astronomical term, and there is no clear definition.

According to the website of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), one of NASA’s laboratories that popularized the term, a full moon when the distance between the earth and the moon is close makes it appear larger and brighter than the average full moon, and this is called a supermoon.

NASA’s website also does not have a clear definition of a full moon when the distance between the earth and the moon is within a certain distance, but based on past trends, it seems that a full moon when the distance between the moon and the earth is within 360,000 km is generally considered to be a supermoon.

Tonight will be clear in Okinawa and Amami, giving you a good chance to observe it. There is a good chance to see it in western Japan, Tokai, northern Japan and the coast of the Sea of Japan in eastern Japan, although upper-level clouds will spread. On the other hand, the Pacific Ocean side from Kanto Koshin to northern Japan will be covered with thick clouds, making moon viewing difficult.