Supermoon December 2017: 7 Things to Know
The Supermoon of December 2017 is only a few days away from happening.
Source: Moon
The year has been a good one for astronomical events as we had the total solar eclipse and now we have a Supermoon to kick off the last month of the year. Here are seven things to know about it:
Supermoons can appear to be up to 14% times larger and 30% brighter than your average moon.
The term has been around since 1979 and it describes a moment when the moon is closest to the Earth.
In most of the northern hemisphere, the December Supermoon will be dubbed a “Full Cold Moon” due to the season we’re in.
On Sunday, Dec. 3 is when the moon will become totally full and at its brightest, specifically at 10:47 a.m. EST that Sunday, rising that same evening around 6 p.m. EST.
Perigee defines the closest point in the moon’s orbit around the Earth, and the Supermoon will reach this spot at 3:45 a.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 4.
The moon’s average distance from the Earth is approximately 238,000 miles.
There are plenty of places around the U.S. where you can enjoy the Supermoon as long as the sky is clear, even if just for a minute.
Unlike the total solar eclipse, there are no risks of going blind if you stare directly into the moonlight, which is technically a reflection of the sun’s light.
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