The first supermoon of the year is about to appear. Pictures by Bibhash Lodh/BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: This January Moon will be much Higher in the Sky than at any other time of the year. As a result, the moon will be visible for a longer period and much more easily.
The first supermoon of the year is coming very soon.
A supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth. At this time, the moon appears larger and much brighter to the naked eye than usual.
Sunday will be the first full moon of the year, and the moon will appear much larger than normal in the sky. This will be the final phase of the continuous 'supermoon' phenomenon that began in October of the past year. A 'supermoon' occurs when the moon is closer to the Earth than its average distance. As a result, the moon appears about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual, according to a report by the British newspaper The Independent.
The moon will reach its fullest phase or full moon around 10 am on Saturday. However, from the previous night, the moon will appear as a large and bright sphere across the sky.
This January full moon is sometimes also called the 'Wolf Moon', 'Cold Moon', or 'Hard Moon'. While these names are traditional, many of them have become more widely known recently. Like other celestial events, no special equipment or preparation is needed to see the supermoon; in fact, viewing this moon from a crowded or busy place might be better compared to other subtle celestial events.
Seeing the moon next to various objects or buildings on the horizon makes its vastness and dramatic appearance even more evident.
This January moon will be much higher in the sky than at any other time of the year. As a result, the moon will be visible for a longer period and much more easily.
However, the moon might seem a little less exciting. This is because when the moon is very high in the sky, there is no opportunity to compare it with any object on Earth, so it doesn't appear as large.
This January supermoon is expected to coincide with the Quadrantid meteor shower. As a result, viewing the meteor shower might be somewhat difficult. Because of the intense brightness of the full moon, it is difficult to spot the faint streaks of light from meteors in the sky.
During a supermoon, the moon is 30 percent brighter than usual. At this time, the moonlight illuminates the entire sky. As a result, smaller or fainter meteors will be obscured by the moon's light.