The instant of full moon fell on Monday, November 14, 2016 in the morning hours before sunrise in western North America and on many Pacific islands, east of the International Date Line. In Asia and Australia, the moon turned precisely full during the evening hours of November 14. In New Zealand, still recovering from yesterday’s major earthquake, it came after midnight November 15. For all of us, the moon has seen shining from dusk until nearly dawn these past few nights.
Did you know a supermoon doesn’t really appear larger to the eye? Well, it doesn’t unless you’re seeing a moon illusion, an effect that occurs with any full moon when seen near a horizon. A supermoon is at its closest to Earth and therefore larger in fact; but, unless you are a very experienced observer, your eyes probably can’t didn’t detect a size difference between a supermoon high in your sky and any ordinary full moon.
But all of us could see that the supermoon was very bright! In fact, they’re some 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest from Earth.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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