London Dec 3 (IANS) Stargazers are in for a treat on Sunday as they could catch a glimpse of the so-called "supermoon" when the Moon appears bigger and brighter in the sky as it moves closer to Earth.
It will appear about 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter although the difference is barely noticeable to the human eye the BBC reported.
December s full moon is traditionally known as the "cold moon".
The full moon on Sunday night marks the first and only supermoon of 2017.
According to NASA a supermoon is a Moon that is full when it is also at or near its closest point in its orbit around Earth.
Since the Moon s orbit is elliptical one side (apogee) is about 50 000 km farther from Earth than the other (perigee).
But within this orbit further variations can be caused by the Earth s movements around the Sun.
These mean that the perigee - the closest approach - and full moon are not always in sync.
But the occasions when the perigee and full moon coincide have become known as supermoons.
NASA has said that Sunday s supermoon is first in a series of three supermoons. The next two will appear on January 1 and 31 2018.
In 2016 the Moon made its closest approach to Earth since 1948. It won t be that close again until November 25 2034.
--IANS
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