Just as there are names for when the full moon is larger than normal, 4 full moons in a season, and 4 new moons in a season, there is also a name for when the moon appears smaller in the sky than normal. When the moon is smaller in the sky than normal, it is called a micromoon. Often times in the media when the full moon will be large, there are a ton of articles about supermoons. Micromoons aren’t as fun nor as appealing to say, but are an interesting part of the lunar cycle and lunar phenomena.

Unlike a superman which happens when the moon is full, a micromoon doesnt describe how full moon is, but rather how far away the current moon phase is. That is because when a full or new moon occurs around its apogee, the moon becomes a micromoon. Other terms and nicknames for a micromoon are Minimoon or Apogee Moon.

As a result of micro moons being further away from the Earth, the moon will look 14% smaller than a Supermoon. Moreover, the illuminated areas of the moon appears 30% smaller, so it might appear slightly less bright. Micromoons lead to around 5 cm smaller variation than regular spring tides, called apogean spring tides.

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