The Philippines was caught up in moon magic more than a year ago, when the Supermoon was seen in the country’s night sky in Nov. 2016. This year, the Supermoon came back on Dec. 3, Sunday. Although it was not as spectacular as it was seen in the northern hemisphere, it was still quite impressive.
This year’s Supermoon reached its closest point in its orbit to the Earth or its perigee on Dec. 3, 9 p.m. Eastern Time, which makes it around 10 or 11 a.m. in the Philippines.
Missed Supermoon 2017? Don’t Worry, There’s Two More In January
According to Space.com, skywatchers don’t need to fret if they missed this year’s Supermoon. Although it is the last one for the year, two more similar events will occur on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31. NASA has called this rare occurrence of three full moons appearing when it is closest to the Earth as the Supermoon trilogy.
When the moon is at its perigee, it appears bigger and brighter than usual. Astronomers and other skywatchers say a Supermoon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter. According to NASA, the best times to catch a Supermoon is during the moonrise or the moonset, when “it’s suspended low on the horizon beaming through the silhouettes of trees or buildings, its apparent size might make you do a double-take.”
Watch Out For Jan. 31: A Blue Supermoon And A Total Lunar Eclipse
For an even more interesting skywatching, the public should watch out for the third Supermoon on January 31. According to NASA, a total lunar eclipse will also happen which can quite a sight to behold given that the moon looks bigger than usual. Totality will be visible in North America, the Pacific and Eastern Asia.
The second special thing about the Jan. 31 Supermoon is that it will be the second full moon in the month of January. This makes it a super blue moon.