November Supermoon Set to Light Up the Night Sky: When and How to Watch

November supermoon, Digi Mart USA News: Astronomy enthusiasts will have a new opportunity to observe a special event this November: a supermoon will light up the night sky at the end of the month, when the Moon reaches its full phase.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Mexican National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), the event will be one of the main astronomical highlights of the month and will mark the start of a series of three consecutive supermoons, continuing through December and January.

The supermoon will occur on Tuesday, November 24. According to the INAOE calendar, the full Moon will take place at 14:53 Central Mexico time.

One day later, on November 25, at 21:01, the satellite will reach its perigee, the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth. At that moment, the geocentric distance will be 359,312 kilometers and its angular size will reach 33.2 arcminutes.

NASA recommends looking toward the east at sunset to watch the Moon rise. Near the horizon it may appear even larger due to the so-called moon illusion, a visual effect that also occurs with other full moons.

The Moon’s orbit around Earth is not completely circular but slightly oval, so the distance between the two bodies changes during its journey. When a full moon occurs near the point closest to our planet, known as perigee, the satellite can appear larger and brighter than normal.

However, NASA notes that the visual difference can be subtle, so a dramatic change may not necessarily be noticeable to the naked eye.

Beyond the supermoon, November will bring other events for sky watchers. INAOE expects the Northern Taurid meteor shower, with a peak on November 12 and an estimated rate of five meteors per hour.

The Leonids are also expected, with peak activity on November 17 and a maximum observable rate of 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.

For these observable phenomena, NASA recommends finding dark locations and allowing your eyes to adapt for about 30 minutes to improve observation.