The most spectacular supermoon since 1948 will light up the sky, appearing 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than usual.
The event on Monday November 14 – described as “undeniably beautiful” by American space agency Nasa – is the result of the moon coming closer to Earth than it has done for 69 years.
Nothing will match it until the moon makes a similar approach on November 25 2034.
At 11.23am UK time on Monday, the gap between the Earth and the moon will close to its shortest point, known as “perigee” – a distance of 221,525 miles (356,510 km).
Sky watchers in the UK will have to wait a little longer before the full moon emerges in all its glory shortly before 5pm.
On top of the moon’s bigger than usual size, they will then be treated to an additional “low-hanging moon” effect.
This is an optical illusion caused by the moon being close to the horizon, where it can be measured against familiar objects such as trees and houses.
What is a supermoon?
Ever looked up at the night sky to see a full moon so close you could almost touch it? Well done, you’ve spotted a supermoon.
The impressive sight happens when a full moon is closest to Earth. It orbits our planet in an oval shape so sometimes it comes closer to us than at other times. To us Earth-lings, the moon appears 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent bigger.
By the way, supermoon is not an astrological term. It’s scientific name is perigee-syzygy, but supermoon is more catchy, and is used by the media to describe our celestial neighbour when it gets up close.
Astrologer Richard Nolle first came up with the term and he defined it as “… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit”, according to earthsky.org.
