On November 14, 2016, between 5.34pm and 4.46am, we can witness the greatest “supermoon” since 1948. And whoever loses this chance will only have the opportunity to see again a moon of the same size and brightness in the year 2034.

On this date, the moon will be in its perigee, that is, the moment when it is closest to Earth. Because of the oval movement of its orbit, at these times, it approaches 48 thousand kilometers of Earth. So the natural satellite of our planet will be 14% larger and 30% brighter seen from here. The occasion is defined as one of the most anticipated astronomical events of this century.
First of all, you need to be in the full phase. For this, it is necessary that the Moon is positioned on the opposite side of the Earth in relation to the Sun. Thus, seen from our planet, it is completely illuminated.

Secondly, the satellite must be closer to Earth than normal. This only happens because the moon’s orbit is elliptical. That is, the path it does around the Earth is not a perfect circle. Therefore, the distance from the satellite to the Earth varies greatly. The moment the moon passes farther from the planet is called apogee. The position when it is nearer is called perigee.
The category of supermoon is already given to any full moon that appears in this region of the right of the orbit.

But it is much rarer for the moon to be full just as it reaches its maximum point of contact with Earth. Therefore, the phenomenon of November 14 is a kind of super-supermmon, which will be only at 356,509 km from the planet.

In 2016, there was a “supermoon” on October 16 and there will be again on December 14, but not with the same intensity as the next November 14, which will only be repeated in 18 years. The greatest “supermoon” of the century is distant, but it is already scheduled: December 6, 2052.

A 14% higher moon is a damn thing, but when it gets loose in the sky, with no references of size, it can be difficult to perceive the difference. To take advantage of the so-called “lunar illusion”, the key is to enjoy the moment when the moon begins to appear in the sky, close to the horizon. It is worth to observe the phenomenon already on the night of November 13, the moon must be bigger, closer and brighter than normal. The next day, it will be starting to wane, but it should continue to be a beautiful sight.