Lunar eclipse on January 10 won't be a Super Moon — Here's why

• This year's first lunar eclipse will happen on January 10 — the 'Wolf Moon'.
• However, it will not be a Super Moon since the natural satellite won't be at its closest point to the Earth.
• The moon will only hit perigee on January 14, three days after the lunar eclipse and full moon on January 10.

The 'Wolf Moon' lunar eclipse, or chandra grahan, is slated to take place this Friday on January 10. But, it won't be a Super Moon — the biggest the moon can be in the night sky.

The natural satellite's orbit around the planet isn't circular but shaped like an eclipse. So a Super Moon only happens when the moon is as its closest to the earth — a point in its orbit called the perigee.

At this point, the moon is around 363,300 kilometres away. In comparison, at apogee — the further point from earth in the moon's orbit — it is around 405,500 kilometres away.

On Friday, the moon will still be four days away from that point. By the time it reaches, the lunar eclipse will be long over and it will no longer be a full moon.


Super Moons in 2020

According to astrologer Richard Nolle, there are only two Super Moons set to happen in 2020. One on March 9 and another a month later, on April 8 — the closest that the Moon will be to earth during a full Moon this year.

However, another astrologer — Frmed Espenak — believes that full moons on February 9 and May 7 will also be close enough to be classified as Super Moons.

See also:
There will be four lunar eclipses in 2020 - starting this week

'Wolf Moon' lunar eclipse this Friday will have werewolves looking to form packs — or so the myth says

Solar eclipses in 2020 — twice a year that the Moon will try to block out the Sun