Supermoon seen Sunday, Monday nights

Union County residents had a chance to see a supermoon in the nighttime sky last Saturday and Sunday.

The NASA website posted information about the supermoon.

NASA explained that the supermoon which could be seen Monday night, Nov. 14, was “especially ‘super’ because it’s the closest full moon to Earth since 1948. We won’t see another supermoon like this until 2034.

“The moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical so sometimes it is closer and sometimes it’s farther away. 

“When the moon is full as it makes its closest pass to Earth it is known as a supermoon. 

“At perigee, the point at which the moon is closest to Earth, the moon can be as much as 14 percent closer to Earth than at apogee, when the moon is farthest from our planet. 

“The full moon appears that much larger in diameter and because it is larger shines 30 percent more moonlight onto the Earth.”

NASA explained that the “biggest and brightest moon for observers in the United States” was on Monday morning, just before dawn. 

On Monday, Nov. 14, the moon was at perigee at 6:22 a.m. EST and “opposite” the sun for the full moon at 8:52 a.m. EST (after moonset for most of the United States).

NASA explained November’s supermoon was actually the second of three supermoons in a row.

The last supermoon of 2016 will be seen on Dec. 14.