Stargazers across China witnessed a celestial showstopper this week as the brightest first quarter moon of 2026 lit up Tuesday night’s sky. The striking D-shaped lunar display reached peak brilliance at 8:28 p.m. Beijing Time, appearing 14% larger than average due to its closest approach to Earth this year 🌍✨
"This cosmic dance happens when the moon hits perigee – its nearest orbital point to Earth at 370,000 km," explained Wang Kechao, astronomy expert at the Purple Mountain Observatory. The phenomenon occurs during the first quarter phase when the sun-Earth-moon alignment creates that iconic glowing 'D' shape we all love to photograph 📸
2026 brings extra lunar magic with 12 first quarter moons and 13 last quarter moons scheduled. Pro tip for night owls: The moon’s elliptical orbit means we’ll see similar size variations throughout the year – but Tuesday’s show was truly one for the books!
Young astronomers, keep those cameras ready – with lunar perigees happening monthly, there’s always new sky magic to discover 🔭💫
