Why does the moon get so big and red?

Available for over a year

Discover the science behind why the moon looks larger than normal in the night sky, which includes an elliptical orbit, brightness changes and occasional optical illusions. Dr Jenifer Millard, astronomer and host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, tells Malcolm Boyden why both desert dust and the moon's position in the sky can cause it to turn red, otherwise known as a 'blood moon'. She also says you can use your fingernail to check the moon's relative size in the sky through the night, to work out whether it is a 'supermoon' or just the planet playing an illusion. Image credit: BBC Weather Watchers/Kev