Why is the moon so bright?

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
03 June 2023 Saturday 04:46
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Why is the moon so bright?

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia

In Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia we can contemplate this series of photographs of the crescent moon in Mijas (Málaga), a few hours before the last full moon of spring occurs.

Specifically, the exact Strawberry Moon will be at 5:42 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 and under the sign of Sagittarius, according to data from the National Geographic Institute (IGN). That is the precise moment from an astronomical point of view when the face of our only natural satellite will be fully illuminated by the sun.

Even so, the crescent moon from last night and early morning has already been observed very bright, why?

Well, this is how it will actually look during Saturday the 3rd and until Monday the 5th of June, when the entire face of the moon will be equally bright. This is because the phase change (new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter) is gradual.

And, therefore, the differences in the percentage of the illuminated surface from one day to the next are practically negligible in view of the human beings who contemplate the moon from our planet Earth.

The next time we see the full moon will be in a new season of the year, on July 3, since the summer solstice will take place at 4:58 p.m. on June 21.