It's time to raise your head, because the full moon on April 8 will be the largest and brightest in 2020.
This 'super moon' will not actually be pink – the name is derived from the spring bloom of pink phlox that usually accompanies the full moon in April in the United States.
But, nevertheless, this is an ideal opportunity to study the surface of our natural satellite.
A full moon is a full moon that coincides with the fact that the moon is (or within 90 percent) of its closest point to Earth (its 'perigee') as it follows its elliptical orbit around us.
The April Moon will be 357,035 km from Earth – compared with an average Moon-Earth distance of 384,400 km.
The supermoon can be 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than the normal full moon. The best time to study the lunar surface with optical instruments is not a full moon night, as it may be too bright. Instead, select a night a few days before or after a full moon to see more details.
If you look from the northern hemisphere, you will see a large, bright crater to the left of the center of the moon's surface. This is Copernicus, 93 km wide, presumably about 800 million years old (relatively young by the standards of the Moon).
If you imagine a line of symmetry drawn vertically through the moon's disk, then Apollo 11's landing in the Sea of Tranquility will be almost the same as Copernicus reflected on the other side. Remember that if you are viewing from the southern hemisphere, the moon will appear upside-down compared to the northern hemisphere.
You can also see two more characteristic craters with binoculars – Aristarchus, to the left of Copernicus, and the huge Tycho crater at the very bottom. If you look closely enough, you will see that there are many more craters, each one indicative of billions of years of meteorite bombardment on the lunar surface.
