December 3, 2017
The first of a trilogy of winter supermoons sets over the Great Dome on December 3. If a full moon occurs at perigee—when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth—the resulting “supermoon” appears up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual.
January 2, 2018
© DAN DILL
The second of three winter supermoons sets over MIT on January 2, 2018.
January 31, 2018
Dan Dill
Animation of the setting of the super blood blue moon over MIT’s Great Dome on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. The animation spans 8 minutes, from 6:40 a.m. to 6:48 a.m. The brightening in the last several frames is caused by the sun’s appearance on the opposite horizon. The upper left portion of the moon darkens as the moon moves into Earth’s shadow.