A supermoon happens when the moon becomes full on the same days as its perigee, which is the point in the moon's orbit when it is the closest distance to Earth.
The term "supermoon" is not astronomical but from astrology. The association of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has led to claims that the supermoon phenomenon may be associated with increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the evidence of such a link is widely held to be unconvincing.
As NASA reported, this month's supermoon "becomes full within about two hours of perigee-arguably making it an extra-super moon." Supermoons generally appear to be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons.While such moons occur around every 13 months, November's is a special one.
While this phenomenon is not uncommon, what distinguishes the Nov 14 supermoon is that it would be the closest to Earth since 1948, making it an "extra-supermoon", said the US space agency. It would appear bigger and brighter than usual.
In America, the November full moon is known as a "Beaver Moon," because it arrives at the time of year when fur trappers would hunt the dam-building animals. The Beaver Moon follows the full Hunter's Moon of October and the full Harvest Moon of September, as reported by Space.
According to EarthSky, the moon will turn precisely full on November 14 at 1:52 p.m. UTC, or 8:52 a.m. ET. For viewers in eastern North America and Europe, the best view will likely be on the night of November 13, or the following night.
Early risers on the US West Coast should be able to spot it near its fullest at 5:52 a.m. PST, as the sun does not rise in that region until 6:25 a.m. Moon spotters in Asia are perhaps the best placed to catch the moon at its absolute largest, with full moon occurring at 9:52 p.m. Hong Kong time, or 7:22 p.m. in India.
For sky gazers in Singapore, the supermoon can be seen if there is no cloud cover. “You can view it from anywhere in Singapore that gives you a good view of the sky,” Dr. Eileen Tan, deputy director of Physical Sciences at the Science Centre Singapore told Channel NewsAsia.
The Nov 14 supermoon is the second of three this year. The first was on Oct 16 and the other will be on Dec 14. And according to studies, we won't see it that big again until 25 November 2034.
