Supermoon on November 14: Moon to be biggest, brightest in 69 years

Tonight in India, Moon will sight a bit differently, it will be closer, brighter and bigger than ever in last 70 years because it will be a ‘supermoon’. This coincidence of a full moon or a new moon will be the biggest so far since 1948.

Let us know how this year’s supermoon will be different:

What is Supermoon?

A supermoon occurs due to the strange, egg-shaped orbit of the moon. One part of the orbit known as the perigee, is about 30,000 miles closer to earth than the apogee, or the furthest part.

Scientific term

The scientific term for a ‘supermoon’ is perigee-syzygy. ‘Perigee’ is the point on the Moon’s orbit closest to the Earth.

‘Syzygy’ refers to the alignment of the Sun, moon and Earth.

Occasion

Such moons occur around every 13 months and the month of November's is a special one.

What makes this November 14 supermoon so special?

Supermoons generally appear to be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons.

According to NASA scientists, this month’s supermoon becomes full within about two hours of perigee, arguably making it an extra-super moon.

14% Bigger. 30% Brighter. Don't miss the Nov. 14, 2016 Supermoon! It won't be this big again until 2034. Read more: https://t.co/YtvoaYndb1 pic.twitter.com/gOJyaHXisK

— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) November 12, 2016

When and where one can see the Supermoon?

It will probably be best placed for moon spotters in Asia. The full moon occurring at 9:52 p.m. Hong Kong time, or 7:22 p.m. in India.

While on the US West Coast it should be able to spot it near its fullest at 5:52 a.m. PST.

How to see supermoon?

This is to be noted that supermoons are best viewed at night, away from sources of light pollution.

A good time to see the supermoon would be at dusk, when it is near the horizon. When close to the horizon, the moon can appear up to 3 times as big as when it is high in the sky. This is known as the moon illusion.

Next supermoon?

If someone misses this occasion of watching supermoon, the next one will occur after 28 years on November 25, 2034. The last time moon was ‘super big’ way back in 1948.