Supermoon: What is it and how can I see it?
Image source, Getty Images
The Moon is appearing larger and brighter than usual for many people around the world just now - provided the skies are clear enough to see it.
A supermoon event happens when the Moon is at its closest approach to the Earth.
And this month's is called a Sturgeon Moon - after the increase in sturgeon fish in North American lakes at this time of year.For those of us in the UK, will the rain hold off for long enough? Read our guide to find out how best to see it.
How to see the supermoon
Catherine Heymans, an astrophysics professor at University of Edinburgh, suggests people look to the horizon just after sunset.
The Sturgeon Moon rises on 1 August but it will still look full for the following couple of nights.
Although the Moon will technically be full at 19:31 BST, observers in the UK won't be able to see it until it rises above the horizon at 21:22 BST, according to Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Dr Greg Brown.
Dr Brown added that it will be indistinguishable from a full Moon for the entirety of the night before it sets at 05:42 BST tomorrow morning.
"While a clear, low horizon to the southeast will certainly help you spot it sooner, it will quickly rise into the sky, making it visible from practically anywhere in the country.
"Being the brightest thing in the night sky, you won't have any trouble spotting it regardless of whether you are in the bright city or the dark countryside. You won't need any device to see it, though a pair of binoculars or small telescope can always be used to magnify its features and get a clearer view of its surface," he said.
Will clouds in the UK spoil the fun?
Potentially - poor weather conditions this evening could make it difficult to catch a glimpse, according to BBC Weather, with an area of low pressure throwing in cloud and rain from the west.
Parts of northern mainland Scotland should experience clear spells throughout the night, meaning the supermoon is likely to be visible here.
In north Wales, the Midlands, northern England and East Anglia, a few cloud breaks are also possible until around midnight - before the rain arrives. Behind this band of rain, some cloud breaks should also return to the south-west and south-east Wales before the moon sets.
But Prof Don Pollacco, a physicist at the University of Warwick, said the moon will be so bright that it can be seen "when it's not particularly dark or even if the weather isn't particularly clear".
What causes a supermoon?
The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical shape rather than in a circle, which means its distance to us varies by tens of thousands of kilometres.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closest point to the Earth. This is known as the lunar perigee.
A full Moon during perigee will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is furthest away from Earth.
We'll have the final supermoon of 2023 on 29 September - this one will be called the Harvest Moon, which only occurs once every four years.
Cultures across the world give full Moons different names to describe what was happening in the month.
What is a Blue Moon?
Tonight's Sturgeon Moon will be followed by a rare Blue Moon on 30 August.
A Blue Moon is a second full Moon occurring within a single calendar month, and happens every two to three years - or once in a Blue Moon.
Have you got pictures of the supermoon? We'd love to see them. Get in touch.
Related Topics
