TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Less than a month since the most recent supermoon, this year's largest and last supermoon appeared in the skies over Taiwan on Wednesday evening (July 13).
In a press release issued by the Taipei Astronomical Museum on Tuesday (July 12), it announced that Wednesday would be the best opportunity to appreciate the largest full moon and last supermoon of the year. With a distance of 357,000 kilometers from Earth, the moon appeared 13.5% larger than the smallest full moon of the year on Jan. 18.
(CNA photo)
On Wednesday, the moon passed perigee at 5 p.m. and rose at 6:37 p.m. with optimal viewing conditions between 7:53 and 8 p.m., despite the fact that it was not yet technically a full moon. The actual full moon did not occur until 2:38 a.m. on Thursday when it was less spectacular because it was higher in the sky at that point.
In addition, the museum pointed out that at 7:54 a.m. on Wednesday and 4:05 a.m. on Saturday (July 16) there would be something that looks like a "super-bright star" in the sky, but is actually the International Space Station (ISS). The station is located in an orbit about 400 kilometers high, making it brighter than stars and easy to spot in the night sky.
(CNA photo)
According to the museum, the ISS slowly moved northeast after emerging from the southwest horizon on Wednesday. After emerging from the northwest horizon on Saturday, it will slowly move to the southeast.
The whole process will last about seven minutes and the brightness will be greater than the star Vega, but the brightness will vary depending on where the ISS is situated. It was brighter to the north on Wednesday and will be brighter to the south on Saturday.
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
