Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 14-11-2016
Thousands of South Africans are expected to witness the supermoon across the country.
The biggest “supermoon” since 1948 will grace the sky this evening where the moon will appear about 14 percent bigger and around 30 percent brighter than usual.
The occurrence of a supermoon, or to give it its proper name, a “super perigee full moon”, is not particularly uncommon.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) the moon’s orbit around earth is slightly elliptical so sometimes it is closer and sometimes it’s farther away.
When the moon is full as its closest pass to earth at 356,509 km, it is known as a supermoon.
This will actually be the second supermoon of 2016, after one occurred on 16th October, but because todays will become full within about two hours of perigee, it will be the first largest supermoon of the 21st century.
If you miss the super moon you’ll have to wait to around November 25, 2034 for another chance.
To view this phenomenon here in South Africa, be sure to take a look at moonrise which is the best time to see it.
That’s 6:26pm in Durban, 6:33pm in Joburg and 7:25pm in Cape Town.
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