I was merely pointing out that NdGT comments, while factual, were not really on point. I could also have said, "So what...?"

My arguments against the term supermoon are: 1. It piques public interest and then fails to deliver. 2. We have proper terms for the events that are occuring and should be using those terms instead.

Certainly these are stronger arguments than "But it doesn't look any bigger!"

But you're trying to place my "devil's advocate" role in the wrong context. Clearly the frequency of lunar eclipses has nothing to do with the term supermoon.

> how does your parallel to Halley's comment provide any justification to your counter-argument?

I think the point was rather clear. You were trying to argue that supermoon eclipses were not uncommon because they occur for, on average, 10% of all eclipses, but that was not the right metric. The occurance of these events over time is the correct metric.

> It's not actually significantly naked-eye brighter but requires instruments to measure.

It is 33% brighter. I would be surprised if that isn't detectable by the human eye. It certainly looks brighter to me tonight.

You don't need serious instrumentation to measure the change in size. Hold a quarter up to it so it just blocks out the moon. Measure the distance between your eye and the quarter. Now do the same when the moon is at apogee.

If you want to get technical, I don't really understand why it matters whether the difference is naked-eye visible or requires instrumentation. The prefix super- doesn't require it.

> Should we celebrate when Jupiter is at perihelion?

Are we celebrating? Certainly we "celebrate" in the form of news articles and increased observation when Jupiter is at perihelion, and, as you note, this event occurs once every ~12 year–more frequently than perihelion-sygyzy of the moon, Earth, and the sun. Although I think if it coincided with an eclipse of Jupiter by the Earth we would probably be too busy panicking to celebrate.

But these comparisons to other astronomical bodies don't hold water. The Moon holds a different place in our collective consciousness than these other astronomical bodies. Ask someone to point out Jupiter and most people won't be able to do so. Ask them to point out the Moon and everyone will be able to do so.

Supermoon, superjupiter, super67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko are not incorrect. Why does the moon get special treatment? Probably for the same reasons it often does.