Stargazers and space cadets will want to grab their telescopes and camera later this month because the moon is going to put on quite a show.
Tonight the moon will be at its closest point to the Earth of the year, and, in fact, the closest it has ever been in the 21st century, according to NASA.
For that reason, it is being referred to as an "extra-supermoon." Expect a big, bright moon to take over the night sky. In fact, NASA says a supermoon can be 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter.
The moon won't be this close to Earth again until 2034, according to NASA. That is 17 years from now!
It's still too early to know how the Valley's skies will look on Nov. 14 (hopefully no clouds!) but stay tuned to ABC15 as our meteorologists continue to monitor the radar.
So, what exactly is a "supermoon?"
According to NASA, supermoon refers to "a full moon that is closer to Earth than average."
"Since the moon’s orbit is elliptical, one side (perigee) is about 30,000 miles closer to Earth than the other (apogee). The word syzygy, in addition to being useful in word games, is the scientific name for when the Earth, sun, and moon line up as the moon orbits Earth. When perigee-syzygy of the Earth-moon-sun system occurs and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, we get a perigee moon or more commonly, a supermoon!" Read more from NASA.
The last supermoon occurred on Oct. 16. After Nov. 14, NASA says the last supermoon of the year will happen on Dec. 14.
