Supermoon Sunday: Why the moon will look bigger tonight and why you hear more about giant moons since 2011
The moon will look larger when it appears in the sky tonight, creating a so-called supermoon that should wow sky-watchers.
The moon will appear at its biggest and brightest than at any other time this year because its oval-shaped orbit brings it to the point closest to earth.
Also known as a perigee moon, tonight’s full moon will be around 14 per cent closer and 30 per cent brighter than when it’s at its furthest point from earth.
For those wishing to see the moon at its biggest and brightest, it will begin to appear at approximately 7.09pm in the UK.
The moon usually appears at its largest on the horizon due to an effect known as the “moon illusion”. This optical illusion is created when the moon appears in the background against everyday objects such as trees and buildings, and though its not completely understood, it makes the moon appear even bigger- and look good in pictures.
Surfers in Sydney, Australia, underneath the 10 August supermoon (Source: Reuters)
An onlooker watches today's supermoon rise in Sydney, Australia (Source: Reuters)
This makes northern Scotland the best place to see the supermoon as this is where the moon appears lowest on the horizon in the UK.
Watchers might recollect that we have already experienced a supermoon last month. While tonight will be the closest moon of the year, July also saw the moon come extremely close to the earth- within 10 per cent of the nearest it will ever be- and these near moons are also referred to as supermoons. A third will happen this year, on 9 September.
This makes it seem that the phenomenon is becoming more common, but it appears in a cycle every 14 lunar months and the next time the moon appears this large will be in September 2015.
Interest in the event was also extremely low before 2011 when it was linked to the earthquake and tsunami that coincidently hit Japan at the same time. Since then, the media has paid more attention to the event, as can be seen in this trends chart.