Earlier, we talked about 6 meteor showers to watch out for in August. However, if you're more of a moon person, you may be very pleased to know that 2014's biggest and brightest moon can be seen this weekend. August 10's perigree full moon, which is the actual scientific name of a supermoon, is definitely one not to miss.
"The full moon begins Sunday at 2:09 p.m. ET, but will still put on a great show Saturday night, and will appear as much as 30% brighter and 14% bigger than usual," Mashable reported. "The moon won't be this close to the Earth again until September 2015."
Supermoons are not rare, though. These celestial events can actually happen on a yearly basis.
"Generally speaking, full Moons occur near perigee every 13 months and 18 days, so it's not all that unusual. In fact, just last year there were three perigee Moons in a row, but only one was widely reported," explained Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
One of the things that makes this weekend's supermoon special, "perfect" even, is the fact that the moon is at its closest to Earth "only 26 minutes before the moon officially reaches its full phase at 18:10 Universal Time (UT) (2:10 p.m. EDT) on August 10," according to National Geographic. "The moon will be straight overhead in the sky above the Indian Ocean at that specific time. Such tight timing won't occur again until 2034."
However, don't be disappointed if you don't see much difference in the size of this coming Sunday's moon, as "the difference in distance between Earth and the moon from last month's supermoon will be no more than a few hundred miles or kilometers-something the human eye really can't detect."
Tony Berendsen, a tour agency founder and outreach astronomer, agreed with this.
"You can't really feel that it's bigger, because there is no point of reference. But as a result, you will feel the moon is a lot brighter," he said. In addition, he also told ABC News that this full moon "will also bring extra high and low tides, making it extra fun for surfers."
If you're in California, check out the viewing party at Mammoth Mountain on Saturday, from 6-10:30 in the evening PT or at Squaw Valley near Tahoe, as noted by Mashable.
Out of Atlanta, you can join the group at Sunset Cove for the supermoon party. If you're in Chicago, head to the Confluence Tower for their Perseids Meteor Shower viewing party on Saturday night.
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