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Don't miss tonight's supermoon over Australia

Ben Domensino, Wednesday September 18, 2024 - 16:20 AEST

A supermoon will be visible from Australia tonight, offering a chance to see one of the largest full moons of the year.

The Moon orbits Earth in an oval-shaped path called an elliptical orbit. This elliptical orbit means the Moon gets closer to and further away from our planet at different times throughout the year.

When the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in this elliptical orbit, a point called the perigee, the Moon appears slightly larger than a regular moon. When a full or new moon occurs near the date of the perigee, it is called a supermoon.

Supermoons appear roughly 14% bigger and about 30% brighter than the smallest moon of the year. There will only be two super full moons in 2024. One tonight and the other on October 17.

The best time to see tonight's supermoon in all its glory is straight after moonrise. This is because our mind plays a trick on us when the Moon is near the horizon, causing an optical illusion that makes the Moon appear larger than it does when it’s higher in the sky.

Image: The two moons in this image are the same size, but the surroundings make us think the top Moon is larger. This is similar to the phenomenon that makes the Moon look larger when it is near the horizon.

Here are the moonrise times for each Australian capital city on September 18, 2024:

Sydney: 6:00 pm

Melbourne: 6:26 pm

Brisbane: 5:53 pm

Perth: 6:29 pm

Adelaide: 6:23 pm

Canberra: 6:09 pm

Hobart: 6:16 pm

Darwin: 6:57 pm

- Weatherzone

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