Everything you need to know about Thursday's supermoon
The last supermoon of the year lit up the skies over Alberta on Thursday night.
Supermoon, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 refers to a full moon at perigee.
What is perigee? Well, our moon orbits Earth in an ellipse(oval) pattern, so there is a point where the moon is at it's most furthest and closest distances to Earth.
When the moon's orbit is closest to the Earth it is at perigee, alternatively when the moon is at it's furthest point it's called the apogee.
Thursday night the moon was at perigee with Earth, making it look bigger and brighter than an average full moon.
In some cases the moon can appear as much as eight per cent larger than a full moon at it's average distance from Earth and up to 14 per cent larger than a full moon when at it's furthest distance from the earth (apogean full moon).
The moon can also appear 30 per cent brighter too.
Also, not only was Thursday night's full moon a supermoon, but it was also a Sturgeon Moon. Sturgeon Moon is a name used by The Old Farmer's Almanac.
At different points in the year full moons were given 'nicknames' according to their occurrence with what was happening at that time.
In North America, Indigenous groups and European settlers came up with these alternate names. S
turgeon Moon (August's full moon) came from the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions as this is when the Sturgeon fish were most readily caught.
Here are a few alternate August moon names, Harvest Moon (Dakota), Corn Moon (Algonquin) and Ricing Moon (Anishinaabe).
The next supermoon will be on August 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.