The last time the moon was like this was almost 70 years ago.
The moon turns into a supermoon and will appear to be bigger and brighter than usual, and clear skies permitting, you do not need any fancy equipment to see it.
So, what exactly is a supermoon?
The technical name for it is a perigee-syzygy and it appears bigger because it much closer to the Earth than usual.
Mr Albert Ho, president of The Astronomical Society of Singapore, says: “A supermoon is any full moon that is within 360,000km from Earth. As the moon’s in an elliptical orbit, the moon will sometimes be closer or further away from earth.”
“When it is closer to us, it will appear bigger and brighter than usual.”
He adds that in clear weather, it will appear “10 to 13 per cent larger than the normal”.
This supermoon is a special one.
It will be the closest full moon to the Earth since 1948. There will not be another like it until 2034.
Dr Cindy Ng, a senior lecturer in the department of physics at the National University of Singapore, says: “The supermoon can be seen from when the moon rises, at 6.47pm, until when it sets, at 6.18am.
Dr Tan Ei-Leen, deputy director, physical sciences, Science Centre Singapore says light pollution won’t affect your view: “You can view it from anywhere that gives you a good view of the sky. You definitely don’t need dark skies to view something as bright as the moon.”
For Mr Ho, he suggests catching it as it rises or sets.
“When the moon rises and sets, and there are objects in the horizon to compare its size to, and it will create an optical illusion. This will make the moon look even bigger than when it is in the sky and there is nothing to compare its size to.”
However, you may have to pray for the weather to clear.
Says Mr Ho: “Under ideal conditions, with no cloud and rain, the moon will be very bright. Otherwise, it will look diffused.”
If tonight proves too diffused, do not worry, the supermoon is not a one-night-only-deal.
Mr Ho says: “If you miss the supermoon on November 14, you can still catch it until November 16.”
He says that the moon will be 98.6 per cent full on Nov 14, 99.8 per cent full on Tuesday and 97.7 per cent full on November 16.
However, these fractional differences cannot be detected with the naked eye, so the moon will look equally super for all three nights.
Tips on shooting the supermoon
Location
Find a high altitude location, preferably somewhere dark and with minimal light pollution.
Play with perspectives
If you want to show how big the moon is, try including an object in your shot.
A lamppost or a block of flats for example would show just how big the supermoon is.
Framing
Remember the poster for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with the bicycle in front of the moon? Try something fun . Maybe include your other half silhouetted by the moon.
Equipment
If you are shooting with a DSLR, bring along a tripod and the longest lens you have.
As for smartphone users, if you don’t have a gorilla pod, remember to hold still. Try to find somewhere to rest your phone and only use an optical zoom (if that’s an option). Digital zooms don’t produce the best images.
– Ariffin Jamar
