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The Supermoon Is Coming. Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Things are about to get bright, Columbus.

This Sunday, Earthlings will be treated to an awesome celestial event. The full moon won’t just be full, it will be a supermoon.

Actually, it is the moon, it’s just a lot closer than usual. When a supermoon occurs, everybody’s favorite space rock is at it’s closest point in orbit around Earth.

The shorter distance from Earth causes the moon to appear larger and reflect more light, making it even brighter. Sunday evening will offer the first and last supermoon of 2017. It should shine 16 percent brighter and 7 percent larger than normal, according to National Geographic.

Everybody’s favorite astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson may not be excited about the supermoon, but I am. Sure, it’s not that much larger than the normal moon, but it’s still super cool. Don’t ruin this for me, Neil!

The supermoon will be the most visible at sunset. Why? Because of the moon illusion. The moon illusion is the phenomenon of the moon appearing larger the closer to the horizon it is. Don’t just take my word for it. NASA has an easy way to test out this eye-trickery for yourself.

The sun will set in Columbus at 5:07 p.m. on Sunday. The weather is predicted to be clear skies, making perfect viewing conditions for this event.

But if you want to get the best view possible, head away from the ambient light caused by the city. Most public parks close at dusk, so your best bet for optimal viewing will be private land (with permission of course) or public areas that are open after dark like roadside rest stops or select parks. You could even take a nice country drive with the family.

Enjoy moongazing, everybody!

via GIPHY