My Balcony (The Moon Side)
I Measured the Supermoon With a Ruler. It Was Huge.
The biggest supermoon of the year rose this week. The experts measured it. So did I, with a ruler.
On Wednesday night, the biggest supermoon of 2025 rose, the closest full moon of the year, about 221,700 miles away. It looked about six percent bigger than an average full moon. That didn’t seem like enough. So I measured it.
My Measurements
Step one: I held a ruler at arm’s length. The Moon was half a centimeter wide. Disappointing.
Step two: My assistant held the ruler a little farther away. The Moon got bigger. Very responsive Moon.
Step three: I sent him to the far end of the balcony. Almost two centimeters. Record-breaking.
Conclusion
The experts say this supermoon was six percent bigger and sixteen percent brighter. My measurements say much bigger, depending on where you hold the ruler. I’m sending my findings to the scientists. Science is about asking questions, and my question is simple: why didn’t they hold the ruler farther away? Next time, I’m getting a longer balcony. Longer balcony, bigger Moon. That’s science.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big was it on your ruler?
Half a centimeter, at arm's length. I rounded up to an inch. I always round up.
Is 'supermoon' a scientific word?
Not officially. It means a full moon near its closest point to Earth. I've been called super unofficially too.