Look to the skies TONIGHT for a giant ‘Beaver Moon’ that’s 14 per cent bigger and almost a third brighter than usual
It's just the second 'supermoon' of the year, bringing it more than 10,000 miles closer to the Earth than normal
A “BEAVER Moon” will light up the sky tonight.
The full moon will appear 14 per cent bigger and almost a third brighter than normal.
The phenomenon, the second supermoon of the year, was so named because traditionally it was the time when fur hunters set beaver traps.
It sees the moon orbit closer, at 226,182 miles compared with its average of 238,900. The Met Office yesterday forecast clear skies.
The supermoon will also occur on Saturday night.
Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss said: “It should be a really beautiful sight. It’s worth noting that the best time to see any object in the sky is when it’s as high it can be, so really around midnight.”
Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples said: “There would have been some rain on the start of Saturday that clears away, and actually we get into much clearer skies as we go through Saturday evening and overnight, but there will be some showers in more northern and western areas.
“There is a good chance of catching a glimpse of it.”
The first supermoon of the year was visible on January 12, and the third will fall on December 3.
