(Photo by Miyuki Takiguchi/Stripes Okinawa)
Skywatchers, rejoice and take note: This year’s largest super moon will shine brightly tonight on Nov. 5.
The full moon, also known as a Beaver Moon, will be the closest to Earth compared to other super moons this year.
The moon’s orbit is elliptical, not circular, so the distance between the Earth and the moon is constantly changing. Due to this, this super moon will appear 14% larger than the super moon that was furthest from Earth back in April, according to National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) homepage.
According to Naoya Matsumoto, chairman of the Nagasaki Astronomical Association, the brightness will also be 30% stronger than the farthest full moon.
Although the moon will pass its closest point to Earth at 7:27 a.m. on Nov. 6, as the timing of the full moon and its closest approach to Earth is so close, the night of Nov. 5 will be a great opportunity to observe it.
So, be sure to look up in the sky and enjoy the largest and brightest super Beaver Moon tonight!
NAOJ homepage (Japanese)
AloJapan.com