The astronomer denied the existence of a micromoon as a phenomenon

At the end of June, residents of Russia will be able to observe another so—called micromoon, the moment when the full Moon is at its maximum distance from the Earth and appears slightly smaller than usual. However, from a scientific point of view, it is not entirely correct to talk about the micromoon as a separate astronomical phenomenon. Sergey Chumakov, Doctor of Sciences, educator and teacher, told Izvestia about this on June 25.

According to him, the terms "micromoon" and "supermoon" appeared more in popular culture and the media than in professional astronomy.

"There are no such phenomena in the strict scientific sense. The apparent size of the Moon does change due to the peculiarities of its orbit, but these changes are so small that it is almost impossible to notice them with the naked eye," the expert noted.

As Chumakov explained, the Moon's orbit has the shape of an ellipse, so the Earth's satellite regularly approaches and moves away from the planet. When the Moon is at the furthest point of its orbit, its apparent size decreases by several percent compared to the period of maximum approach.

At the same time, the human eye is not able to objectively assess such a difference without an additional object for comparison.

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"To notice the size change, there must be a similar object nearby. But there is no second Moon in the sky, so there is simply nothing to compare it with," the expert emphasized.

Commenting on the recommendations for observing the micromoon on June 29, the expert noted that in fact we are talking about an ordinary full moon. No special equipment is required for observation, however, a telescope or binoculars during this period do not always allow you to see the surface of the satellite in all its details. The bright disk of the full moon makes some relief elements less noticeable, which are better distinguishable in other phases.

Separately, the expert commented on the widespread ideas about the influence of the Moon on people's health and well-being.

"Neither the micromoon, nor the supermoon, nor the phases of the moon have a proven effect on humans. This has been repeatedly verified by scientific research," he said.

According to the expert, attempts to explain poor health by lunar cycles can be dangerous, as they distract attention from the real causes of ailments and can lead to late medical treatment.

As for the gravitational influence of the Moon, it does change slightly as the distance between the Earth and its satellite changes. However, these fluctuations are so small that only high-precision instruments can detect them.

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