At 7:22 this evening you better put down your laptops and smart phones and turn your gaze skywards because planet Earth is going to see the largest supermoon in almost 70 years. The term supermoon came into the public vocabulary in the recent years and is a modern astrological term for when a full moon is within 90 per cent of its closest approach to Earth in its regular orbit but has now broadly refers to any time the moon is closer than usual.
Due to the moon’s elliptical orbit there are two points during a cycle when it nears Earth, these points are known as perigee as opposed to the regular, apogee. On November 14 the perigee will coincide with the full moon which occurs approximately every 29.53 days and this coincidence is what makes this supermoon so special. It’s quite rare for these two phenomena to occur together, in fact it won’t happen again until 2034.

The moon this evening will appear 14-30 per cent larger depending where in the world you’re viewing it from and an optical illusion will make it seem even larger when viewed on the horizon with foreground objects in the field of vision.
There are various legends associated with this phenomenon, for example the Algonquin Native American Tribes refer to it as the Beaver Moon “this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Algonquins also called it the Frost Moon due to its tendency to appear with the first frosts.
Whatever you want to call it there is no doubt that it will be truly spectacular to behold so get out there on Monday night and keep an eye out for this wonder of Mother Nature. We just hope that the smog and smoke of the city won’t ruin this sight and if it does, we can just add it to the list of things humans have managed to destroy during their reign on Earth.

Featured Image Courtesy Gostica.com