APOD: 2026 May 30 – Supermoon Versus Micromoon
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Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2026 May 30
Supermoon Versus Micromoon
Image Credit:
Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Explanation:
What is so micro about tonight’s blue micromoon?
Just after sunset, a
full moon will appear
slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.
The reason is that the
Moon’s fully illuminated phase
occurs within a short time of
apogee –
when the Moon
is farthest from
the Earth in its
elliptical orbit.
In fact, tonight’s micromoon will be the
farthest, smallest, and dimmest Moon this year.
But tonight’s micromoon is notable for yet another reason: it is also a
blue moon, meaning that it is the second
full moon in the same month
(moon-th).
Pictured here,
a supermoon —
when the full moon appears near its largest — is compared to a micromoon as photographed from
Kolkata,
India
in May and December of 2021.
Although the next micromoon occurs next month, and the
next blue moon at the end of 2028, the next blue micromoon will not occur
until 2053.
Tomorrow’s picture: eagle stars
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn
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