There's an 'extra-super' Moon on the rise
Illusion
Without foreknowledge, one might barely notice that the Moon appears brighter than usual, astronomers say. Once it is high in the sky, it would be hard to tell that the Moon is larger.
But on the horizon, it could be quite spectacular.
"When you look at the Moon when it's rising, there is this optical illusion where it looks bigger," astronomer Mark Bailey, emeritus director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, told AFP.
Lying low, as a backdrop to trees or buildings for context, our satellite appears larger to the human eye despite being the same size the whole night.
Supermoons are actually quite common -- there is one every 14 monthson average.
"But some supermoons are more super than others," said Pascal Descamps of the Paris Observatory -- the closer the Earth the more so.
"If you want to try to image it, choose a location where you'll get some nice terrestrial feature in the foreground: a well-known landmark such as a tower or a spire will provide a nice comparison, particularly if you stay back a bit and use a zoom or telephoto lens which will magnify both objects," added the IAA.
The supermoon will also mean a stronger high tide, something that gets surfers giddy with excitement, not only at the prospect of riding bigger waves, but doing so at night.
The next comparable event will be in 2034, when the Moon will come even closer, by 64km, to Earth.
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