The Supermoon promises to be the biggest and brightest Full Moon of the year yet. The Full Moon is the second of a trio of Supermoons, which began on January 21 and will end on March 21. This Supermoon will peak here in the UK in the afternoon hours of Tuesday, February 19. When viewed from London, the Moon will reach peak brightness at 3.53pm GMT (UTC), while the Sun is still above the horizon.
For the best view of the Supermoon you will need to wait until sunset or you can opt for a live broadcast of the Supermoon online.
Astronomer Gianluca Masi, head of the Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project, told Express.co.uk the Virtual Telescope will stream the Supermoon online on Tuesday.
The Supermoon livestream will kick off at 4.30pm GMT (UTC) on the Virtual Telescope’s website and via Youtube.
You can watch the livestream in the embedded video player below.
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Mr Masi said: “I’m pleased to share with you that the Virtual Telescope will share live the upcoming February 19, 2019, Supermoon, the largest Full Moon of the year.
“We will show our satellite while it will rise above Rome, among the legendary monuments of the Eternal City.”
The astronomer said the event will be an unforgettable experience, available for all to enjoy.
Tuesday’s Supermoon is is a prime example of the Moon approaching its perigee – the closest point in its orbit to the Earth.
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As the Moon travels around the world, it reaches its perigee and farthest point, the apogee, at various points in time.
But a Supermoon only occurs when the Moon is at its Full Moon phase or New Moon phase.
When a Full Moon or a New Moon approaches its apogee, it is known as a Micromoon.
On Tuesday, the Supermoon will appear about seven percent brighter than any other regular Full Moon you will see this year.
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Mr Masi said: “The show of the Full Moon, and of course the Supermoon, offers its best when our satellite rises or sets, which happens at sunset and at dawn, respective.
“The Full Moon shines in the sky on the opposite direction respect to the Sun, so it rises at sunset and sets at dawn.
“During the twilight, the residual solar light scattered all around by our atmosphere allows us to admire the scenery, while the Full Moon rises or falls on the horizon.
“At night, the Full Moon is very bright, almost dazzling, compared to the darkness of the landscape.
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“At its rise, the Moon appears behind monuments and elements of the landscape, generating the feeling that its disks is larger than usual but this is just an optical illusion, due to the presence of those terrestrial elements on the line of sight, giving grounds for comparison.”
Most astronomy enthusiasts might not be able to spot the difference between a regular Full Moon and the Supermoon this Tuesday,w without knowing what to look for.
Mr Masi said: “The February 19, 2019, Supermoon will appear about seven percent bigger and a bit brighter than an average Full Moon but casual stargazers will not notice this at their first glance.
“These are not really obvious variations but they add charm to the event, a precious opportunity to admire or natural satellite in the night sky context, an increasingly overlooked and forgotten landscape.”