星空有约丨24日将迎年度最大上弦月

Core Points - The largest first quarter moon of the year will occur on February 24 at 20:28, with the moon positioned near its perigee, approximately 370,000 kilometers from Earth, making it a spectacular celestial event visible to the naked eye [1][11][13] Group 1 - The first quarter moon appears when the relative positions of the sun, Earth, and moon form a right angle, with the moon illuminated on its western hemisphere, resembling the letter "D" [6][8] - This moon phase typically occurs around the 7th, 8th, or 9th day of the lunar month, rising around noon and setting before midnight, making it more suitable for public viewing compared to the last quarter moon [10] - The reason this first quarter moon is termed the "largest of the year" is due to its occurrence near the moon's perigee, resulting in a larger and brighter appearance compared to other first quarter moons [11][13] Group 2 - The average distance of the moon from Earth varies, being over 400,000 kilometers at its farthest and less than 360,000 kilometers at its closest, which affects the visual size of the moon during different phases [13] - The largest first quarter moon and the smallest last quarter moon typically appear in the same or adjacent lunar months due to the average 14-day travel time of the moon from perigee to apogee and the 15-day interval between the first and last quarter moons [14][16]