PARIS: An unusually large and bright moon will adorn the night sky next Monday — the closest “supermoon” to Earth in 68 years and a chance for dramatic photos and spectacular surf.
Weather permitting, the phenomenon should appear at its most impressive at 1352 GMT, when it will be at its fullest just as night falls over Asia, astronomers said.
Provided there are no clouds and not too much light pollution, people should be able to see Earth’s satellite loom unusually large over the horizon shortly after sunset, irrespective of where in the world they are.
This happens when the Moon is full at the same time as, or very near, perigee — its closest point to Earth on an elliptical, monthly orbit. “On November 14, it becomes full within about two hours of perigee — arguably making it an extra-super Moon,” NASA says on its website.
The orbit itself is changeable, meaning the distance from Earth differs from perigee to perigee — this time it will be the closest since 1948 at a distance of 356,509 kilometres (221,524 miles). The average is 384,400km.
On Monday, the full Moon’s relative proximity should make it appear about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than at its furthest orbit point, according to the Irish Astronomical Association (IAA).
“Because the Earth/Moon system will be getting quite close to the time of year when it is closest to the Sun (January 4, 2017), the Moon will be receiving more sunlight than average, also boosting its apparent brightness.”
Furthermore, the Moon’s position in the sky will mean its southern hemisphere, the brighter of the two, will be turned towards Earth, said the IAA.
