On the night of November 5, the Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky, as the closest supermoon of the year will occur.
Astronomers explain that the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfectly circular; it periodically approaches and moves away from our planet. When the whole phase of the Moon coincides with its closest position, a so-called supermoon occurs. At that moment, the Moon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the farthest Moon of the year, NASA reports.
November's supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year, as well as the closest. The Moon will pass only 357 thousand km from Earth.
No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon; a clear, cloud-free sky is enough. However, the change in the size of the Moon is almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
