You may want to look up on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to catch a special sight in the sky: a supermoon, the closest of the year.
But with the impressive display, South Florida can also expect a watery visitor: king tides.
What is a supermoon?
The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle, so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.
When is the November full supermoon?
The moon will peak at 8:10 a.m. ET on Nov. 5, but it will be below the horizon at that time so the best chance for viewing will be on the evenings of Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
This super moon is also called the beaver moon, because in the month of November, beavers begin taking shelter in their lodges after storing enough food for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade, it was also the season for trappers to catch beavers for their thick, winter-ready coats, the Farmer’s Almanac continues.
Why is this supermoon special?
November’s supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest: The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles (357,000 kilometers) of Earth.
How can I see the supermoon?
No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon if clear skies permit. But the change in the moon’s size can be tough to discern with the naked eye…