Supermoon 2017: Stunning full moon dazzles in UK as it appears brighter and bigger than usual

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Francesca Gillett4 December 2017

Stargazers in the UK have caught the first stunning glimpse of tonight’s supermoon.

The skies are set to be lit up on Sunday evening with this year’s first and only visible supermoon – which is when the moon appears larger and brighter than usual.

According to experts, December’s full moon will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter tonight, offering a visual treat to people across the country and the world.

Stunning images have already emerged of the glowing orange orb from spots in Hawaii, the Philippines, Cyprus as well as the UK’s own Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear.

A supermoon occurs when the night of a full moon coincides with the point in the moon’s orbit when it is closest to earth.

The Supermoon rises above Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire on Sunday evening.
PA

The moon does not orbit the Earth in a perfect cycle but at a slightly elliptical orbit.

At some points, like tonight, it will be five per cent closer to the Earth than average but at other points it is five per cent further away.

Tonight and tomorrow’s December moon will be 222,443 miles from Earth.

With the supermoon came a stunning sunset, pictured here over farmland in Yorkshire.
PA

The exact moment of the full moon – the point when the moon sits opposite the sun in the sky – was at 3.47pm on Sunday.

Tom Kerss, Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said: "During moonrise and moonset, you might think the moon looks unusually large, but this is an illusion created in the mind when it appears close to the horizon."

"Nevertheless, the ‘moon illusion’ can be a dramatic effect, and with the moon rising so early, there there will be ample opportunities to see its apparently huge face juxtaposed with the eastern skyline".

The December supermoon rises over Netanya in Israel on Sunday.
AFP/Getty Images

For those wanting to see the Earth's natural satellite in greater detail, Mr Kerss advises using binoculars or a telescope.

He said: “"It's perfectly safe to look directly at the full moon, even with a telescope or binoculars.

"You can see many of the moon's larger features, although at full moon its surface looks rather flat, since we don't see any shadows cast across it until its night side begins to creep into view.

"However it is possible to see the dark maria (seas) in stark contrast to the brilliant highlights of the full moon if you allow your eyes to adjust and pick out these ancient volcanic flood plains, once filled with lava."

There have already been three other supermoons this year but tonight’s is the first time it’s visible to the human eye.

The first supermoon of the year was visible on January 12, and the second was on November 3.

Amazing Christmas Supermoon over London - In pictures

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