Tonight we're looking at the Full Moon!

You may have heard that this particular Full Moon is called a 'supermoon.' Because of the orbital dynamics in the Earth-Moon-Sun system, it works out that not every Full Moon is equal. A Full Moon happens when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun from the perspective of Earth, which means the Earth is in a straight line between the Moon and Sun, as shown here:

Any time the Moon is opposite the Sun, from Earth's perspective it rises at exactly the same time the Sun sunsets, as they're 180 degrees apart in the sky.

A supermoon happens when a Full Moon coincides with the point in its orbit closest to Earth (this minor distance variation is responsible for some solar eclipses being only partial ring - annular - eclipses and others being full, but that's a topic for another time!). It's a relatively small effect, don't let the name fool you. But the Full Moon rising over the horizon is always an impressive event.

So go outside at sunset (7:16 pm to be precise) and look due East to catch the Moon rising at the Sun sinks. Note that any obstructions on the local horizon such as buildings, hills or even distant clouds can delay the time it appears to rise, so give it a few minutes.

Feel free to post your images to our page if you catch a great photo of the moon rise tonight, and you can always leave questions and comments.

Clear skies!

Tonight is the Supermoon