Look up in the sky – it’s the Supermoon

The brightest supermoon in 68 years is expected on Tuesday.

The moon rises behind Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas, Sunday evening, November 13, 2016. In 2034, when we’ll have a similarly big supermoon, it will occur within a few minutes of its closest approach, and even then it will be just 100 kilometers closer than this month’s full moon.

Dad and son do some supermoon-gazing..

Bob King, writing in Sky & Telescope magaine, explained that the shape of the moon’s orbit varies due to the ever-changing distances and relative position of the sun, moon and Earth.

NASA says we’ll be lucky if we see a dozen meteors in an hour at the shower’s peak, when normally the shower lights up the night sky with more than 100 meteors per hour.

Photographers from around the world have captured stunning images of the moon on the night before it is due to be at its biggest and brightest for nearly 70 years. The spacecraft is scheduled to take three astronauts to the International Space Station on November 17, 2016.

“I’ve been telling people to go out at night on either Sunday or Monday night to see the supermoon”, said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission.

Tourists, office workers and couples crowded the Hong Kong waterfront as the supersised moon rose over the skyscrapers of the financial hub, while in the Chinese capital Beijing the moon climbed spectacularly over the city’s skyline.

A cross atop a church is silhouetted against the supermoon in Mumbai. As is well known, the first lander to touch down on the moon was named Eagle. But what if you want to capture a great shot of the supermoon for yourself?

And for those who miss it this week, another chance will come around in December when the moon will be low and bright once again, albeit not quite as much as this week.