While we always encourage you to go out to look at the Moon and stars, we especially want to encourage it tonight! That's because the Moon will appear a little bigger and brighter than usual.
The Moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, but an ellipse with one side closer to the Earth than the other. The average distance between Earth and the Moon is about 238,000 miles. Tonight's full Moon occurs just a few hours after the Moon reaches perigee - its closest approach to Earth. The Moon will only be 221,806 miles away from us this evening, making it appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than its opposite, the micromoon. Micromoons occur when the full Moon falls on or near apogee - the Moon's furthest distance from Earth.
Sometimes called a supermoon, a full Moon at perigee is not particularly rare. In a typical year, we will have 3-4 supermoons, and they happen consecutively. The Moon's phase is not synced to its distance from Earth. Perigees happen about every 27 days, but a complete set of phases (from one new Moon to the next) takes 29.5 days. So after a few months, the phase gets out of sync with perigee, and it will take a while to sync back up.
The December supermoon is the 3rd in a row and the last of 2025. The next supermoon will occur on January 3rd, but another won't occur until November 2026. However, "supermoon" is not an astronomical term, so there's no official definition for how close to Earth the Moon has to be to be considered a supermoon. This means that depending on where you get your information, the dates of the next supermoon could vary. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, UK, for example, doesn't classify either the January or November 2026 full Moons as supermoons. By their definition, the next supermoon occurs in December 2026.
Either way you calculate it, though, the full Moon is always a beautiful sight! With clear skies expected this evening, it's the perfect opportunity to head outside to enjoy the view. The Moon will rise today around 4 pm with the Sun setting shortly after at 4:36 pm. It will remain visible all night long.
Let us know on our socials if you got to see it and share any photographs you took. For inspiration, check out this composite image of the Moon and flowers.
Or this artistic take of the Moon and clouds against a starry sky.
