The phenomenon of the moon appearing big and orange is known as a "supermoon" and a "blood moon," respectively. These events occur due to different factors:
Supermoon: A supermoon happens when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the perigee. The moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, so at perigee, it is about 30,000 kilometers closer to Earth compared to its farthest point (apogee). When the moon is near the horizon, it can create an optical illusion known as the "moon illusion," making it appear larger due to the presence of familiar reference objects like buildings or trees. The combination of the moon's proximity and the moon illusion can make it appear exceptionally big.
Blood Moon: A blood moon occurs during a lunar eclipse when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, causing the moon to pass through Earth's shadow. During this event, sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere is refracted or bent towards the moon, filtering out most of the blue light and leaving behind longer wavelength red light. This gives the moon a reddish or orange hue, hence the term "blood moon."
The appearance of a big and orange moon is a combination of the moon's proximity during a supermoon and the light filtering effect during a lunar eclipse. These events are relatively rare and can create visually stunning views of the moon, attracting interest and fascination from skywatchers and photographers alike.