Supermoon of a lifetime shines over the Thompson-Okanagan this month

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – November sky watchers will set eyes on a moon that hasn't been seen for 70 years.

Supermoons, a catchy name that lends an air of comic book excitement, used to seem like such a rare event. Now we talk about the extra-bright moons a lot. 

What’s with the lunar surplus? Well, it’s actually not a new thing.

What astronomers call a perigee moon — when the full moon appears bigger and brighter than usual — happens at least five times a year, according to NASA. 

These eye-catching events happen when the near side of the moon, the perigee, passes close to the earth at the same time as its full phase.

These make for unusually illuminated evenings every time, but this month, North Americans are in for a special show. In the wee hours of the morning on Nov. 14, the moon will appear larger than it has since 1948. It will not come this close to us again until 2034.

In the Thompson-Okanagan, that means star gazers should set their alarms for around 3:20 a.m., Nov. 14, to view the supermoon.

To best capture this event in pictures, have a look at our night sky photography tips.

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