Harrison Thorp 6:54 a.m.
Sunday, November 13, 2016 6:56 am

The moon won't look as big as it does tonight again till 2034.

Northern Seacoast residents are in for a lunar treat tonight and Monday.

A so-called supermoon - a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit - will occur both nights, though locally it will appear at its fullest tonight.

A supermoon isn't that rare; this year, in fact, there was one in October and there will be another in December. But this one tonight and tomorrow will be especially spectacular because of how close the moon will be to Earth.
This full moon will be not only the closest and brightest supermoon of 2016, but also the largest since 1948, Bob Berman, an astronomer at the Slooh Community Observatory told Space.com.

The moon's distance from Earth varies in its orbit. Tonight it will be about 221,524 miles away, while just two weeks ago it was 252,688, a different of over 30,000 miles. The difference means it will appear 14 percent bigger, and a whopping 30 percent brighter.

The best way to photograph the supermoon is to take photos while the moon is at or near the horizon, when the optics make it look even bigger.
Moonrise tonight will happen around 4:11 p.m., about nine minutes before sunset, with clear skies predicted for optimal viewing.

Lastly, if you're thinking about skipping this one, think twice. While we'll have another supermoon next month, after the one today and Monday, the moon won't be this close again till Nov. 25, 2034, according to NASA.