What is a supermoon?
(Video: NASA)
Anyone looking to the east during sundown on Wednesday won't be able to miss an exceptionally large moon – a phenomenon known as a supermoon which this month will appear for a second time.
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The full moon will appear especially large due to the fact that apart from being full, it's also very close to the closest point in its orbit to Earth this year - at a distance of 357,344 kilometers. Additionally, it will also appear larger prior to sunrise on Thursday.
The moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical, and its distance from Earth varies between 356,000 to 406,000 kilometers, a change of about 10% in its distance from Earth over the course of the month. Therefore, when the full moon coincides with its closest approach to the Earth, a supermoon occurs.
The occurrence of two full moons in the same month is relatively rare, happening about once every three years or so, with the second full moon known as a Blue Moon. This is not due to its color, however, but because of various traditions stemming from the anomaly of having a second full moon in the same month.
The name is linked to a concept taken from American folklore, saying that a rare event takes place - "once in a blue moon."
It's worth watching the full moon on Wednesday, as its size will be about 7% larger than average. And since we all have smartphones, it's also possible to capture the larger moon against urban and natural backgrounds.