On 14th November, there will be a 'supermoon’. What is a Supermoon? A full moon is when we can see the whole of the Moon in the sky at night – which is a fantastic sight! On 14th November, there will be a 'supermoon’. This means the Moon will look bigger than it usually does to us on Earth!

Do you know why it is so special and why it is happening? Supermoons in 2016 There are actually three supermoons this year – one was in October, one will happen on 14th November and another will occur in December. However, the supermoon on 14th November is going to be the most special. Do you know why it is so special and why it is happening?

Shapes of the Moon New Moon Full Moon Crescent Gibbous

Why Does the Moon Appear to Change Shape The Moon reflects the Sun’s light. What part we see of the Moon depends on where the Moon is when orbiting the Earth. Sunlight

Waxing and Waning Waning means that the Moon is getting smaller. Waxing means that the Moon is getting bigger.

Waxing Half Moon Sunlight Waxing Gibbous Waxing Crescent Full Moon New Moon Waning Gibbous Waning Crescent Waning Half Moon

What Is a Supermoon? A supermoon looks a lot bigger and about 30 times brighter than the moon usually looks. This is because it is closer to the Earth than normal. Its official name is a ‘super perigee moon’ but people just call it ‘supermoon’. Photo courtesy of Andrew and Annemarie (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

Why Will There Be a Supermoon? The Moon actually orbits the Earth in an oval shape, and not a perfectly circular one as many people believe. This is why the Moon is sometimes closer to the Earth and other times it is further away. It means that the distance from the Earth to the Moon varies from 225 623 miles to 252 008 miles, depending on its position in its orbit.

Why Will There Be a Supermoon? When the Moon orbits the Earth, it reaches a point where the Moon, Earth and Sun are all aligned. This can cause an eclipse. The supermoon means that the Sun, Moon and Earth are all aligned, and that the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun.

Amazing Supermoon Facts! At 11.24pm UK time on 14th November , the Moon will be at the closest distance from Earth that it can be. The Moon will be the closest it has been for almost 70 years, and there will not be another supermoon this close until 2034!

How Big Will the Supermoon Be? This supermoon will be 14% bigger than the normal Moon. Unfortunately, you will probably still need a telescope to notice that it is any bigger than a usual full moon. Nevertheless, it will appear much brighter than a normal moon so it will be worth looking up on the 14th November to see this special supermoon! Will you be watching?