Biggest supermoon in decades will shine this month
Nov 4, 2016, 12:04 PM | Updated: 1:43 pm
Before 2016 comes to a close, it will have experienced three supermoons. But the event that is causing a lot of chatter is the November full moon. It will be the biggest in decades. In fact, NASA is calling it an “extra-supermoon.”
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What is a supermoon? For starters, it’s not the latest comic-book-turned-movie about to hit theaters. Rather, it’s when the moon comes closest to the Earth in its orbit. And when the moon is full as it comes so close, it appears quite large in the sky — larger than when it is seen most other times.
That is what will happen on Nov. 14. And NASA is noting that it won’t just be the closest full moon to date in the 21st century, such a supermoon event won’t happen again until Nov. 25, 2034. The moon is expected to be up to 14 percent bigger, and 30 percent brighter. The last time the moon appeared this large was nearly 70 years ago.
There was one supermoon in October. If you are left wanting for more super lunar exposure after November, there will be another supermoon on Dec. 14. It won’t be as big and bright, but it will still be super — it will block out much of the Geminid meteor shower expected at that time, which is usually one of the most visible showers of the year.
As for the Nov. 14 extra-supermoon, weather reports aren’t too accurate this far out, but some reports indicate that the Northwest will be clouding and raining that day.
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