Supermoons Explained: What Makes a Full Moon 'Super' and the Next Dates in 2026
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of NASA's Supermoons page, checked October 29, 2026. Dates and times come from NASA and are given in UTC, with Eastern Time conversions.
What a supermoon is
NASA explains that the Moon's orbit isn't a perfect circle. A "supermoon" happens when a full Moon coincides with the Moon's closest approach to Earth, a point called perigee.
- At perigee, the Moon is about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) away.
- At apogee, its farthest point, it's about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) away.
The exact distances vary, so some supermoons are closer than others. NASA notes "supermoon" isn't an official astronomical term. It's typically used for a full Moon within at least 90 percent of perigee.
How "super" is it?
NASA says that at its closest, a full Moon can appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the faintest full Moon of the year, which happens near apogee (sometimes called a "micromoon"). Fourteen percent is hard to notice by eye, but the extra brightness is easier to see.
Supermoons come in runs
Perigee and full Moon don't line up for most of the year. When they do, NASA says supermoons happen three to four times a year, always consecutively.
Upcoming supermoons (from NASA)
| Date | Time (UTC) | Eastern Time |
|---|---|---|
| November 24, 2026 | 14:54 | 9:54 a.m. EST, Nov. 24 |
| December 24, 2026 | 01:28 | 8:28 p.m. EST, Dec. 23 |
In Eastern Time, the December supermoon is full on the evening of December 23. See our full moon dates for the full calendar.
Effects on Earth
Because the Moon is closest, a supermoon can cause higher tides than usual. That's why king tides and high tide flooding often line up with new and full moons near perigee.
Viewing tips
No equipment is needed: just look up on the date. Clear skies help (see cloud types). For the phases in between, see moon phases explained.