The Moon at Apogee – November 20, 2025
Time: November 20, 2025, at 08:18 IST
Event: The Moon reaches its apogee — the furthest point from Earth in its orbit.
Distance: About 406,700 km from Earth, compared to 356,500 km at perigee.
Effect: The Moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer than usual, though the difference is subtle.
Angular size range: Varies between 29.4 and 33.5 arcminutes due to its elliptical orbit.
Cycle period: The anomalistic month (apogee to apogee) lasts about 27.555 days, slightly longer than the orbital period of 27.322 days.
On this date, apogee coincides with a new moon, so the Moon will appear as a thin crescent.
Note: The “Moon illusion” often makes the Moon look larger near the horizon, but this is an optical illusion — the Moon’s actual size remains constant.
A great moment to appreciate the subtle variations in our closest celestial neighbor’s orbit!
