![Photo: Linda Robertson](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/story/2024/08/moon_200824.jpg)
Photo: Linda Robertson
Nasa scientists say a supermoon happens when the moon, either in its full or new lunar phase, syncs up with a close swing around Earth, making it appear larger than normal. And the word sturgeon relates to the month it rises in — in this case, August.