When Is The Next Supermoon?

If you heard the buzz or looked at the sky this past weekend, you might have noticed Saturday's moon was pretty super — a supermoon actually. But, if you missed Saturday's glory, you've still got plenty of chances to see another one. When is the next supermoon, you ask? It's set to occur in each of the next two months, on Sept. 28 and Oct. 27.

First of all, what exactly is a "supermoon?" According to Science World Report, the moon appears 12 to 14 percent larger and shines up to 30 percent more when a full moon aligns with a perigee. A perigee may sound fancy, but in general, it just refers to when a planet, moon, or comet is very close to Earth so when you hear about the moon's perigee, that's the time when the moon is closest to us. On the other hand, a full moon is when the Earth, sun, and moon align with our planet sandwiched in the middle. So, when there's a full moon and a perigee moon at the same time, a supermoon occurs.

According to EarthSky.org, astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term over three decades ago. On his website, Nolle explains that he first wrote about "supermoons" in a 1979 article for HOROSCOPE magazine. Technically, he writes on his website, this phenomenon of a perigee and full moon already had a name, but he came up with a better one. He explained, "Astronomers call this very special alignment a perigee-syzygy. I call it a SuperMoon – which is a whole lot easier on the tongue." Makes sense.

The result? An extra large looking full, bright moon. If you don't believe me, check out these stunning photos from Saturday.

Are you regretting you didn't ditch your usual Saturday night plans to stargaze? Don't feel too bad, because you'll have two more chances. According to EarthSky.org, 2015 was set to have six supermoons, and the final two are coming in September and August. On Sept. 28, the moon will be full and close to Earth (remember the definition explained earlier), but it will also be the biggest of all year. You don't want to miss it!