The next supermoon will take
place on December 3 and
can be seen by sky-watchers
from around the world.
A supermoon is an astronomical phenomenon in which Earth’s
moon is full, on the opposite side
of the Earth from the Sun
(a state called syzygy),
and at its closest point to the
planet (a state called perigee).
The coincidence of these lunar
events usually only happens occasionally,
even as infrequently
as once a year.
Scientifically referred to as a
perigee-syzygy moon, a supermoon
can appear up to 14%
larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee, or the point
when it’s furthest away from
the Earth.
The colloquial term “supermoon”
was created in 1979 by
Richard Nolle, an
American astrologist.
He claimed the lunar
event would cause
natural disasters;
however, this prediction
is unfounded.