Want to start 2018 with a supermoon sighting?

World Sunday 31/December/2017 18:43 PM
By: Times News Service
Want to start 2018 with a supermoon sighting?

Cape Canaveral (Florida): Science enthusiasts will have another reason to welcome 2018: the first day of the New Year will also see a supermoon appear in the night sky.

Supermoons normally occur about once every 13 months, according to NASA, and during these events, the moon appears to be about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than it normally is, because this is when the moon’s elliptical orbit is closest to the Earth.

However, should you miss the first supermoon of 2018, don’t be too alarmed: a second is set to follow on 31 January, which will also feature a lunar eclipse, causing the moon to take on a reddish hue.
The celestial events should be visible from western North America through the Pacific Ocean to eastern Asia, said NASA.

The last supermoon that took place was on December 3, but if you are worried about missing out on this year’s supermoon, you could check www.timeanddate.com, which provides a calculator to the next moonrise, so you will know when exactly you need to wake up to enjoy it.

If you live in a part of the world where you cannot see the supermoon with your eyes, you could check out The Virtual Telescope Project, or www.slooh.com, which livestreams supermoons.