The recent so-called Supermoon 2012 was amazing to look at, especially as it hung over Lake Apoyo glistening in the crater of a still-active volcano in Nicaragua.
The technical name of the supermoon is a mouthful: “perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system” (hence the silly nickname). All you really need to know is that this moon was 14% larger and 30% brighter than normal, a phenomenon that only occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to earth. Which is not often. This supermoon was only about 221,802 miles (356,955 km) from our planet, roughly 15,300 miles (24,622 km) closer than average. Therefore, this was the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

Supermoon over Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua.

Supermoon over Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua.

Supermoon over Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua.
Want more lunar lunacy? Check out our amazing time-lapse photo montage of the full lunar eclipse in 2010, shot from Chichicastenango, Guatemala.
Here’s more about travel in Nicaragua
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