This November 14, people on Earth will experience a once in a lifetime supernatural event, the appearance of the "Supermoon." This will be the biggest and brightest full moon since the 1940s. It will be the closest to Earth. Read on and find out why this is called the "Supermoon."
Why is it called the "Supermoon"?
The popular term "Supermoon" explains the phenomena when a full moon coincides with the moon's perigee, the distance from the Earth to the moon. To be more precise, a perigee is the closest point to the Earth and it is in this stage that the moon appears larger.
CBS News reported that the "Supermoon" will be roughly 30% larger in the area and 30% brighter than the smallest full moons.
Coming soon to the sky near you: A #supermoon! On Nov. 14, the moon will be its closest to Earth since 1948. Details https://t.co/AshMuSU6vR pic.twitter.com/c10m7LvsCH
— NASA (@NASA) 9 November 2016
When will the "Supermoon" happen?
According to NASA, the closest approach will occur at 6:21 a.m. EST, Monday, when the moon comes within 221,523 miles (356,508 kilometers). And the full moon will occur at 8:52 a.m. EST.
Noah Petro, NASA's planetary geologist, is urging everyone bask in the once in a lifetime phenomenon. Moreover, during the "Supermoon" closest approach time, on the U.S. East Coast, the moon will be setting and the sun rising. So prime viewing will be Sunday and Monday nights, on the East Coast.
When will the "Supermoon" appear again?
The "Supermoon" won't happen again for another 18 years. In fact, this is actually the second in a series of three to occur this fall. The first happened the night of October 16, and social media quickly filled up with stunning images of the unusually big, bright moon.
What is the effect of the "Supermoon"?
The upcoming "Supermoon" pull of gravity will create higher-than-usual tides. But gravity doesn't affect a human body as much as it does an ocean tide, per EarthSky. The "Supermoon" will totally come with the "moon illusion," which will affect your perception of the size of the moon.
When the moon is close to the horizon, it can appear up to more than 300% of the size when it is high in the sky, which makes much more of a difference than the actual size with a 7% boost you get from it being a bit closer to the Earth.
The image of the moon does not change significantly at all as it moves from the horizon up into the sky. But when it is close to the horizon, the illusion will make you think it looks bigger. The exact reason for what causes the moon illusion is still a matter of debate.
Nevertheless, if you go out and look at the moon on 14 November, you will get both the physical effect of the "Supermoon" and the psychological effect of the moon illusion. So, make sure that you won't miss it and take some time to look at the sky on either Sunday or Monday.
