Stargazers anticipating the Lantern Festival will experience the smallest full moon of the year, according to Xiu Lipeng of the Chinese Astronomical Society. The Lantern Festival, falling on February 24 this year, coincides with the 15th day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This rare occurrence of “Lantern Festival + full moon” happens only twice this century, with the last instance recorded on February 19, 1962, and the next expected on February 28, 2086. The size of the full moon varies due to its elliptical orbit around Earth, with the closest point called perigee (supermoon) and the farthest called apogee (micromoon). This year’s smallest full moon is a micromoon, contrasting with the largest full moon that can appear 14 percent larger in diameter, as per NASA. The combination of the Lantern Festival and the smallest full moon makes the event noteworthy for stargazers.
Source – CGTN
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