October’s Supermoon Will be the Biggest of 2024 – Here’s When to Catch it

The largest and brightest supermoon of the year will rise this week. According to NASA, the moon will look full from Tuesday evening until Friday morning, giving you plenty of opportunities to enjoy the view.

There’s a brief period between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning when the moon will be at its closest to Earth, shining its brightest.

Unlike constellations and meteor showers, the supermoon is easily visible from almost anywhere on Earth.

“It’s something anyone can see, even in cities, and doesn’t require special equipment,” Jennifer L. Hoffman, director of the Chamberlin Observatory, told Business Insider.

A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth, known as perigee.

This will happen starting Wednesday evening, causing the supermoon to appear around 14% brighter than usual, according to Space.com.

The moon will reach perigee at 8:50 p.m. ET on Wednesday, at a distance of 221,938 miles—about 17,000 miles closer than normal. It will continue to brighten, reaching full moon at 7:26 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Because of the timing of perigee and the full moon, the best time to see it will be at moonrise on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Wes Ryle, an astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory.

Optical Illusion of the Moon Near the Horizon

Additionally, when the moon is close to the horizon, it creates an optical illusion that makes it appear larger. This effect occurs because nearby trees or buildings provide a frame of reference, unlike when the moon is high in the sky.

You can check the moonrise time for your location with Time and Date’s moonrise and moonset calculator.

No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon, but Ryle suggests using a telescope for a more detailed view.

“This dramatic increase in detail is always a wonderful experience to share,” he noted.

This week’s supermoon is the third of four consecutive supermoons this year, with the next one in November.

What makes this moon special is that perigee and the full moon align more closely than in previous supermoons, making it the largest and brightest of the year.

“This is technically the largest supermoon of the four, slightly surpassing September’s,” Ryle explained.

This week’s full moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon, named for the season when animals prepare for winter and hunters stock up on meat, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Supermoons are relatively frequent, so if you miss this one, you won’t have to wait long for another. “They tend to occur in clusters, resulting in several supermoons in succession,” Ryle noted.

However, a supermoon can sometimes coincide with a new moon, which doesn’t produce the same brightness effect. This year, all four consecutive supermoons are full moons.

In 2025, another series of supermoons will occur in October, November, and December.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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