This Year's Largest Supermoon Emerges Tonight—Here's What To ...

4 hours ago

Forbes

Topline

The moon is expected to reach its closest point to Earth tonight, resulting in the largest supermoon this year, according to experts, an unofficial astronomical phenomenon that occurs up to four times annually.

A supermoon occurs up to four times annually when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth.

Getty Images Key Facts

A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon reaching its closest distance—a point known as perigee that’s about 226,000 miles away—from the Earth in its 27-day orbit, though NASA does not recognize it as an official astronomical term.

A full moon is expected to reach perigee Thursday night, coming within about 222,000 miles from the Earth, after first emerging as a supermoon on Wednesday, according to projections from Fred Espenak, a former NASA astrophysicist.

There have been two other supermoons this year on Aug. 19 and Sept. 18, and another is forecast for Nov. 15., however, the moon has not and is not expected to be as close to the Earth as it will this week.

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When Can I See The Supermoon?

The moon is expected to reach its closest point to Earth—becoming about 30% brighter and appearing 14% larger than the average full moon—around 11:26 p.m. EDT, according to Espenak’s forecast.

How Can I See The Supermoon?

The supermoon will be visible across the Earth regardless of light pollution, according to NASA, though it’s better to be in areas without clouds. Some states will likely be shrouded by cloudy skies Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service, including Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Surprising Fact

The full moon in October is also known as the “hunter’s moon” because it marks the beginning of the hunting season, signaling to hunters to begin preparing for colder conditions, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The “hunter’s moon” follows the “harvest moon,” a moon phase that signals the best time for harvesters to reap their crops.