An unprecedented display of astronomical showmanship will light up the night sky this weekend when the supermoon approaches Earth.
The full moon will rise in the cold, dark afternoon hours on Sunday December 3, before setting on the horizon the following Monday.
Stargazers are in for a spectacular treat since the supermoon has not approached Earth since November 14 2016.
Last year’s supermoon saw the closest lunar approach in 69 years, but unfortunately the moon will not creep this close again until 2034.
When will the supermoon rise in the UK?
The supermoon will begin to peak above the horizon in the dark afternoon hours on Sunday. the optimal time to see it is between moonrise and just before sunrise.
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The moonrise will appear at similar times across the UK, with just a few minute differences from the north to the south.
In London, the dazzling full moon will begin to rise at around 4.21pm, before setting the next morning at 8.15am.
Observers in Wales will get to see the moon rise over Cardiff around 4.33pm, before it sets at 8.28am the following day.
Meanwhile in Edinburgh, spectators will begin to see the moonrise at 4.15pm and watch it set the next day at 8.49am.
For more details, check your local moonrise and moonset locations here.
What is the supermoon?
Despite what the popular term might suggest, the supermoon is in fact our regular moon, but much closer to Earth than usual.
The term supermoon was coined 30 years ago by astronomer Richard Nolle, and it describes the ‘perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system’.
During the supermoon event, the full moon can appear to be up to 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than on any other night throughout the year.
This is because the Moon reaches its perigee, or closest point of approach to Earth.
Lyle Tavernier from Nasa‘s Jet Propulsion Lab said: “The Moon doesn’t orbit in a perfect circle. Instead, it travels in an ellipse that brings the Moon closer to and farther from Earth in its orbit.
“The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and is about 405,500 km from Earth on average.
“Its closest point is the perigee, which is an average distance of about 363,300 km from Earth.”
It takes the Moon just slightly over 27 days to fully orbit the Earth, and during this time the natural satellite reaches both its apogee and perigee.
However during a supermoon event the full moon comes up to 90 per cent closer to perigee, thus filling up the skies.
Mr Tavernier added: “Full moons can occur at any point along the Moon’s elliptical path, but when a full moon occurs at or near the perigee, it looks slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
“That’s what the term ‘supermoon’ refers to.”