The November 14 moon will be the closest full moon to Earth to date in the 21st century, according to the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).
The next full moon, or "supermoon," is extraordinarily special as the size of the moon will not be this big until Nov 25, 2034. "The full moon of Nov 14 is not only the closest full moon of 2016, but also the closest full moon to date in the 21st century," Nasa experts told The Straits Times.
In Singapore, the moon will rise in the east at 6.46 pm on Nov 14 and become a full moon at 21.52 pm. Reports say that it will be nearest to Earth about two hours before that. The supermoon will set in the west at 7.18 am the next day.
Scientists said the moon can appear about 13 per cent bigger and about 30 per cent brighter on that day.
American astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term "supermoon" which occurs when the moon is within 90 percent of its closest distance to Earth, which is about 356,500km.
The size of the moon as viewed also depends largely on the location you are watching from. For example, if the moon is situated high above the horizon from your perspective and if there is no buildings to compare with it, the moon may not appear larger than usual.
But, on the other hand, if the moon might look unnaturally large and closer to the horizon if it is viewed through trees, buildings or other foreground objects. This is often termed as a state of optical illusion.
"Basically, just a visual treat," Albert Ho, the president of The Astronomical Society of Singapore said.
