Cast your gaze skyward on Nov. 14 and you might find yourself mooning over what’s above. A rare supermoon – or super-duper moon, as some are calling it – will rise after sunset, offering some seriously Instagram-worthy photo opps.
While supermoons are not all that rare (we had one on Oct. 16 and another is scheduled for Dec. 14), this one will be the largest since January 1948 and won’t be seen again until November 2034. And, according to NASA, it’ll be the closest moon we’ve seen all century.
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A supermoon is the result of a phenomenon called perigee-syzygy. Before you go running for a dictionary, syzygy is what happens when the sun, moon and Earth line up as the moon orbits Earth, while perigee is the side of the moon that’s closest to Earth – 30,000 miles closer – than its opposite side, apogee.
When the moon achieves perigee-syzygy and it’s on the opposite side of Earth from the sun, a supermoon occurs. And because the moon on Nov. 14 will be full within two hours of perigee, it will qualify for “super-duper” status by being bigger, brighter and closer to Earth than a regular supermoon.
WATCH: Largest Supermoon since 1948 viewed around the World
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For the best views, try to get away from the glare of urban lights, or catch it in a spot where it’s sitting closer to the horizon. This will create what’s called a “moon illusion.”
“When the moon is near the horizon it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects,” a NASA news article states. “The effect is an optical illusion, but that fact doesn’t take away from the experience. A supermoon is undeniably beautiful.”
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Other notable cosmic events throughout the month include a Taurid meteor shower on Nov. 11, that will see individual meteors radiating from Taurus. Gazers who can get away from the city glare could see up to 10 to 15 shooting stars per hour.
Another meteor shower will take place on the evening of Nov. 16 and continue through the early hours of Nov. 17 from the constellation Leo, while the crescent moon will enter Leo’s heart and nestle up to its bright star Regulus on Nov. 21, making for a stunning visual to the naked eye.
The month closes with the striking pairing of a slim crescent moon underneath Jupiter on Nov. 25. The two will look as though they are less than two degrees apart.
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