Cloudy conditions hampered the endeavors of numerous sky-gazers to see the supermoon as it came nearer to Earth than it has in decades. Many are now asking: will there ever be a next supermoon after 2016?
#supermoon seen from Colorado Springs, Colorado. By Forrest Boutin. #Supermoon2016 #superluna #supermaan #weatherphoto pic.twitter.com/IErhcF43f4
— #WeatherPhoto (@photoweather1) November 15, 2016
The occasion, portrayed as "undeniably beautiful" by American space organization NASA, will not be seen until the natural satellite makes a comparable approach in the next 18 years. This means that sky-gazers will have to wait by 2034 before the next super moon after 2016.
Aberdeenshire in Scotland and the north-eastern regions of Wales had the best conditions for an unhindered view on Monday, according to Met Office's Simon Partridge. Considering the possibility that some people missed this rare spectacle, there are other different opportunities to see the next supermoon after 2016.
If Royal Observatory Greenwich public astronomer Dr. Marek Kukula were to be asked: "It's been an overcast night for the majority of the UK and even a supermoon can't traverse thick mists." He further added, "Tuesday's moon will be nearly as vast and splendid as Monday's, so despite everything we have an opportunity to appreciate the sight if the climate obliges."
The supermoon this year was due to the fact that the gap between the Earth and our moon was at its closest point, called the perigee, which covers a distance of 221,525 miles. It was in 1948 when the moon and the Earth had a distance this close and the next super moon after 2016 will happen in a little less than two decades from now.
During the super moon, Earth's natural satellite becomes 30 percent brighter than usual and appears to be 14 percent bigger as well. This is the reason why people are so drawn to seeing this rare moment since they will have to wait a long time for the next supermoon after 2016.
