Among Friends

[alliswell]

This weekend, you might want to take a moment to look up at what promises to be a spectacular supermoon.

This kicks off three straight months of supermoons — you can also catch them on Nov. 14 and Dec. 14.  

Added bonus: It's also a hunter's moon. "That's because in other months, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, while the October moon rises just 30 minutes later," National Geographic explains. "That offers more light overall during a 24-hour day, which came in handy for traditional hunters."

Viewing will be at its best on Sunday, when the moon is both full and "at its closest point to our planet as it orbits Earth," according to NASA. National Geographic advises that the best time to see it is as it rises on Sunday evening.

NASA says the term supermoon simply means a "full moon that is closer to Earth than average." It explains why the moon is sometimes closer to Earth.

"Since the moon's orbit is elliptical, one side (perigee) is about 30,000 miles closer to Earth than the other (apogee)," NASA says. "The world syzygy, in addition to being useful in word games, is the scientific name for when the Earth, sun and moon line up as the moon orbits Earth. When perigee-syzygy of the Earth-moon-sun system occurs and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, we get a perigee moon or more commonly, a supermoon."

At its closest point this weekend, the full moon will be 222,365 miles from Earth — on average, it's 238,855 miles away, according to National Geographic. It will also "appear 16 percent larger than average and nearly 30 percent larger than the year's smallest full moon."

This article was written by Merrit Kennedy of NPR

[millieshops]

@alliswellSounds as if I should set an alarm.  TY

[151949]

We tooka ride to the beach last evening to watch the sunset and the moon was a bonus. It was beautiful. Tonight it is clouded over and pouring here so we won't see it - glad we saw it yesterday.

[Gram W]

I have stepped out several times tonight.  First it was clouds and now it is rain.  I may not get to see the moon tonight.  I marked my calendar for Nov and Dec.  Would love to get a good picture.  My son and grandson were waiting with their telescope.  I hope they saw it.

[LTT1]

it is making a dappled pattern on the back yard due to moonlight shining thru the trees. Love this!

[jaxs mom]

It was amazing last night, ours had some thin clouds across it. 

[Imadickens]

@alliswell. Thanks for the info! I can't wait to look at it!