Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend.
The moon will officially become full Saturday at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And
because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee — its
closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year's biggest. The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon.
And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with the full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, Space.com's skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular. Read More...
