Tonight, the Moon Will Be Closest to Earth for the First Time in 993 Years

The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle. Instead it is elliptical in shape, resembling a slightly stretched circle. This indicates that the distance between the Moon and the Earth varies throughout a month. The closest point in the Moon’s orbit to Earth is known as perigee, and the farthest point is known as apogee.

According to timeanddate.com, three new moons have occurred less than 356,570 kilometers in the past 2000 years.

Venus and Saturn will also be in a straight line on the next day of Amavasya. In most binoculars and some telescopes both planets will fit in the same field of vision. Both can be seen with the unaided eye or even a pair of binoculars.

The new moon tonight is culturally significant because it marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Rabbit,” even though there won’t be much to see or observe. The Chinese Lunar New Year event, also known as the Spring Festival, is observed in China For thousands of years It is based on a complex calendar that links both the lunar and solar systems to determine dates.

The distance of the Moon from the Earth is essential during such an event. Total solar eclipse, which will happen next time on April 20 Australia, Timor Leste and West Papua, will result if it is close enough to Earth. An annular solar eclipse, which will occur in the next year weIn Mexico and South America in October, the new moon results in its inability to completely cover the Sun if it is relatively far away and therefore appears smaller.