This coming Sunday, on Dec. 3, another rare astronomical event is about to happen in the form of a Supermoon, which is slated to be the only one that will be occurring for the year. People from all over the world will be able to see an exceptionally large moon, if they save the date. However, there is an exact time of the day to truly experience the Supermoon event.
In a report by CNN, the moon will appear to be seven percent larger to the naked eye, and will be shining at least 16 percent brighter compared to what can usually be seen from the moon on a regular night. According to actual astronomers, the best time to marvel upon the Supermoon would be right after the sun sets, so that the development of the moon can be seen. On the other hand, dusk is also a great time to look at the Supermoon.
However, it is notable that not everyone can stay up all night to witness the best moments of the Supermoon — especially before Monday. Fortunately, the Supermoon will persist throughout the night, leaving everyone a great window of opportunity to at least take a peek.
According to Business Insider, the Supermoon can occur once or twice per year. However, this time is different, since 2017 will only have one Supermoon event, which means that astronomy enthusiasts will only be getting one shot to see it this year. The science behind the Supermoon is that there are two extreme points to describe the moon's distance from the earth — perigree and apogee.
Perigree is the closest point to which the moon can get towards the earth, while apogee is the farthest. When the moon is nearing towards the apogee, that is when the moon appears to be exceptionally small compared to any regular night. According to CBS News, the moon will reach its peak fullness and roundness at 10:47 a.m. EST on Dec. 3, and will officially reach perigree on Dec. 4 at approximately 3:45 a.m. EST.
