This year’s full supermoon, that we’ll be able to see with our naked eyes, will take place the night of Dec. 3. (Some perigree moons can’t be seen, as they come during the new moon.) According to the National Geographic, this year’s supermoon will shine up to 16% brighter and 7% larger than usual. If you want to catch a glimpse of the majestic supermoon 2017 this December, continue reading!
A supermoon occurs when the point of the moon’s orbit which is the closest to the Earth, called perigee, coincides with a full moon. As a result of this, the moon will look larger and brighter compared to the other times we see the full moon.
All astronomy enthusiasts who want to see it and live on the East Coast will have to stay awake or wake up at around 4 a.m. EST on Dec. 4 to catch a glimpse of the moon in its largest and brightest state. According to NASA, the moon is traveling in an elliptical orbit with the farthest point from earth called apogee, being about 252,000 miles from the Earth, while the perigee is about 222,443 miles away from the Earth.
If you live in London, you will be able to see this year’s supermoon, also called the Full Cold Moon, at 4:40 p.m. GMT, while in Italy, people will be able to see it at 5 p.m. (GMT+1). Also, in Rome, the supermoon live stream will be available via the Virtual Telescope Project.
The project’s scientific director, astrophysicist Gianluca Masi said: “These are not only obvious variations, but they add charm to the event a precious opportunity to admire our natural satellite in the night sky context an increasingly overlooked and forgotten landscape.”
If you are one of those astronomy enthusiasts who live in Washington state, you may be able to see the supermoon pass over the star Aldebaran. Space.com wrote that this event will be visible to people in Seattle, WA, at 6:09 a.m. The bright Aldebaran star will become visible again after 6:46 a.m. People from Alaska can see the moon pass by the star at 4:38 a.m., and the star will be visible again at 5:32 a.m. If you don’t live in the U.S. or mentioned countries, you will be able to see the event from Northern Canada, Russia, China, and Bangladesh.
The November Full Beaver Moon reached about 227,000 miles from earth, while the expected Full Cold Moon that will take place the beginning of December will be about 222,443 miles from Earth.
Are you planning on catching a glimpse of the Supermoon 2017?
