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November supermoon to be the brightest and biggest for nearly 70 years

00:01, 14 November 2016

Tonight is set to provide the most awesome - and eery - spectacle in decades.

You shouldn't be able to miss it as the moon appears 30% brighter and 14% bigger than usual.

Known as a supermoon, it is defined as "a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit."

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Past supermoon photographed by Tim Harrington in Victoria Park, Ashford
Past supermoon photographed by Tim Harrington in Victoria Park, Ashford

This is the biggest the moon has appeared since January 1948, despite supermoons being quite common.

November's supermoon is one of three this year - the first was on Sunday, October 16 and there will be another on Wednesday, December 14.

Neither of these, however, will be as spectacular as tonight's.

Eerie shot of a past supermoon captured by Kerry Riley of Herne Bay
Eerie shot of a past supermoon captured by Kerry Riley of Herne Bay

What makes this supermoon so special is the fact the moon becomes full within two hours of perigee - that is the point when it is closest to Earth.

In fact, it is about 30,000 miles closer than the other side of the orbit, the apogee, when the moon is furthest from Earth.

This month's supermoon will appear 14% larger than usual
This month's supermoon will appear 14% larger than usual

The term supermoon is not often used among astronomers, with the name perigee-syzygy used more commonly.

The terminology comes firstly from the stage of the moon's orbit (perigee), while syzygy is the name given to when the Earth, the sun and the moon align in the moon's orbit of Earth.

A supermoon occurs when the two coincide and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the sun.

There won't be a chance to see such a super supermoon until November 2034.

Paul Thomsett, chairman of the South East Kent Astronomical Society commented "As long as the skies are clear and you have a good view to the south you will have no trouble seeing our nearest celestial neighbour blazing in the night sky."

"Weather permitting [it] will be visible without the need for a telescope."

Head to the darkest spots in Kent for the best view of the supermoon
Head to the darkest spots in Kent for the best view of the supermoon

However, if you're planning on trying to get a good photo or want to see the supermoon at it's finest, places with the least light pollution are the best viewing point.

The moon will become full at 13:52 GMT on Monday, November 14, so the best time to view the supermoon in the UK will be later on that night.

Ten super moon facts:

  • The moon is the largest satellite relative to its parent planet but it is the fifth largest natural satellite in the solar system.
  • The moon suffers at least four different kinds of moonquake - deep, meteorite impacts, thermal and shallow.
This month's supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of three this year
This month's supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of three this year
  • It is always the same face of the moon that is visible to Earth.
  • The moon rotates at just 10 miles per hour, while Earth rotates at 1,000 miles per hour.
  • The moon is very slowly moving away from Earth, at about 3.78 cm each year.
  • There have been 117 missions to the moon.
Supermoon snapped by Michael McClaughlin in Herne Bay
Supermoon snapped by Michael McClaughlin in Herne Bay
The supermoon captured by Gee Crick
The supermoon captured by Gee Crick
  • If two full moons occur in the same month, the second is a blue moon.
  • There will be no supermoons in 2017. The next one afterWednesday, December 14 will be on Tuesday, January 2 2018, when perigee and the full moon next realign.
  • The November supermoon will be356,509 km from Earth.
  • The closest supermoon of this century will be in December 2052, when the moon will be356,425 km away.

If you get a super shot, send it in via email to news@thekmgroup.co.uk or tweet us @Kent_Online, indicating where in Kent you took the picture, and we'll post some of our favourites!

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