Science

The Largest Supermoon in 70 Years Will be Seen Tonight

Skygazers around the world are in for a treat tonight, as the Moon will be at its closest point to Earth since January 1948.

supermoon-pakistan

According to Pakistan Meteorological department, Moon will appear biggest at around 6:52pm when it’s exactly full.

What exactly is a Supermoon?

The scientific name of this phenomenon is perigee-syzygy, however it is widely known as Supermoon. When the moon is at perigee, it means that the distance between moon and earth is the shortest. It is to be calculated around 226,000 miles away and during this time the moon appears 14 per cent bigger and 30pc brighter than a normal full moon.

apogee-perigee

It also merits mentioning that Moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a perfect circle rather, slightly elliptical. This explains why it’s taken nearly 70 years for this to happen and it will definitely be worth a look.

The moon is at its best view if you’re viewing from a spot where the Moon is sitting closer to the horizon, it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects which creates what’s known as moon illusion.

Do not miss it!

This astronomical event will not come again until November 25, 2034, so do not miss it tonight; get your DSLRs and tripods ready to capture the undeniably beautiful moment.