One week ago this past Weds (1/15), we experienced a micro moon. This occurs when the moon is near apogee (furthest in its distance from Earth) during it's full phase; these are usually not happening at the same time. A super moon is the converse situation- perigee and full phase. There is a ~16% size and ~30% brightness difference in the moon's characteristics between these two events.
There are no universal rules as to how close the moon must be to qualify as a Micro or Super Full Moon. timeanddate.com uses the following definition:
If a full moon is closer than 360,000 kilometers at perigee, it is considered a Super Full Moon.
If it is further away than 400,000 kilometers at apogee, it is listed as a Micro Moon.
The next micro moon: March 5, 2015
The next super moon: January 30. We already had one earlier this month! January is the only month with two supermoons until January 2018.
There are no universal rules as to how close the moon must be to qualify as a Micro or Super Full Moon. timeanddate.com uses the following definition:
If a full moon is closer than 360,000 kilometers at perigee, it is considered a Super Full Moon.
If it is further away than 400,000 kilometers at apogee, it is listed as a Micro Moon.
The next micro moon: March 5, 2015
The next super moon: January 30. We already had one earlier this month! January is the only month with two supermoons until January 2018.
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