A cloud-shrouded full supermoon rises over the summit and Santa Cruz County homes in this view from UC Santa Cruz. Supermoons happen when a full moon coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)
SANTA CRUZ — This Wednesday, the closest supermoon of the year will be visible in the night sky. Viewers will have the best chance of seeing the moonrise on Thursday, right after sunset by looking at the horizon.
This month’s supermoon is one of three occurring this year, the next being Dec. 4. A supermoon occurs when the moon is closer to the Earth than usual, due to its elliptical orbit, which can make it appear larger and brighter in the sky.
Alongside the supermoon, skywatchers should be on the lookout for Saturn high in the sky. The Southern Taurid meteor shower will also be at its peak, with around five meteors an hour. Viewers should look for the meteors near the same location as the moon in the sky.
“The later in the evening, the better. This is a very minor shower and skywatchers should not be discouraged if they don’t see a meteor,” says Jim Bahn, member of the Santa Cruz Astronomy Club. “A much bigger shower is coming up in mid-December, with the Geminids producing up to 75 per hour, or a bit more than one per minute.”
The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club will be hosting a star party on Dec. 19 at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park. Attendees will likely get a glimpse of the Geminids meteor shower, Saturn, Jupiter and the Orion Nebula.
Originally published at Daniella Garcia Almeida