November 14 is one of the best dates in 2016 since it marks the night that Supermoon lighted up the night sky in the world. According to NASA, what makes this Supermoon very special is that it is the closest Supermoon since 1948 (69 years ago) and it will only show up again on November 25, 2034. If you missed it this week, you have to wait for that long.
With excitement and anticipation, sky gazers as well as photographers congregate on high grounds to have a better view of the Supermoon. Social media was also flooded by supermoon updates and netizens share their experiences and captures of the closest moon on earth.
Here is an example of a candid shot of the Supermoon view in the Philippines by a local Photographer and an active netizen, John M. Collano. It was taken at 7:15 PM in Pagadian City.
Supermoon taken in Philippines last November 14, 2016 | Photo by: John Collano
Supermoon taken in Philippines last November 14, 2016 | Photo by John Collano
North America has the best view of the Supermoon as it showed before dawn. However, in Australia, most people who gathered in Bondi Beach were disappointed due to the thick clouds causing obstruction to the Supermoon view.
In China, Chinese citizens are lucky enough to have an airline (Spring Airlines) that offer 100 flights to people who wanted to witness Supermoon closely.
Why its Size Seem to Change
The moon that orbits around the earth follows an ellipse shape which causes the change of its size from the earth’s view. Noah Petro from NASA also explains that the moon is affected by the pull of earth’s tidal and gravitational force, making its distance from the earth varied. So, instead of following a circle orbit, it goes around the earth on an ellipse or oblong shape.
In case you missed it, you’ll have to wait 18 years again to see the closest Supermoon–November 25, 2034 to be exact.