For the first and last time in 2017, a supermoon will grace the skies on Sunday, Dec. 3.
According to an NPR interview with University of Arizona professor Gurtina Besla, the moon will be completely full at 12:45 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 4. But if that’s too late for you to stay up, don’t worry, the moon will still appear larger than normal when it’s closer to the Earth’s horizon during sunset on Dec. 3 and sunrise on Dec. 4.
A supermoon usually occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit and this time sky gazers will see the moon at approximately 16,500 miles (26,500 km) closer than usual. The moon will appear about 7 percent bigger and 16 percent brighter than average.
In 2016 the moon was the closest its been to the Earth since 1984 and that distance won’t be challenged again until 2034.
If you miss the moon on the first day, don’t fret, the moon will still appear large and bright for a few days after that, it just won’t be a full a moon.
