Some people would say 2016 has been a pretty dark year (Brexit, President Trump, creepy clowns, etc…) but tonight should be very bright in Indonesia as we’re in one of the prime position to enjoy the brightest supermoon since 1948.
What is a supermoon exactly you may ask? A supermoon is when a full moon takes place at the same time as the Moon is at its closest to the Earth on its elliptical orbit , making the Moon appear to be much larger than usual – 14% bigger and 30% brighter than when the Moon is at its furthest point from the Earth along its orbit.
And why is Indonesia particularly well suited to see this historic supermoon? Because the Moon will be at its fullest tonight at precisely 13:52 GMT or 8:52 p.m. here in Jakarta. Assuming the sky isn’t overcast then, you should be able to see the moon at its biggest and brightest tonight without even having to stay up too late.
This will actually be the second supermoon of the year, and yet another will take place before the end of 2016. But according to Bob Berman, an astronomer at the Slooh Community Observatory, this will not only be the closest and brightest supermoon of 2016 but also the largest since 1948.
Another reason this supermoon is special – according to NASA, we won’t see another full moon get this close to the Earth again until November. 25, 2034.
So take a moment tonight to look up at the sky tonight and look up at the Man in the Moon in all of his oversized glowing glory. And if you believe in that sort of thing, make a wish for a brighter tomorrow – sure it’s cheesy, but the moon is made out of cheese after all.
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