When to see October's supermoon: the biggest and brightest of the year

• The third supermoon of the year will rise this week.
• Supermoons occur when the full moon is closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.
• The full moon in October is the largest supermoon of the year.

The biggest and brightest supermoon of the year rises this week.

NASA says the moon will appear full Tuesday evening through Friday morning. So you have enough time to absorb it.

However, there is a small window between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning when the moon is closest to Earth and appears brightest.

When and where to see the October supermoon

Unlike constellations and meteor showers, the supermoon is clearly visible from almost anywhere on Earth.

“It's something that people can see even if they live in a city, it's really easy to observe. “You don’t need any special equipment,” says Jennifer L. Hoffman, director of the Chamberlin Observatorysaid Business Insider.

The term “supermoon” refers to a full or new moon occurring around the same time as the moon's closest approach to Earth, called perigee.

That will happen starting Wednesday evening, resulting in a supermoon that will appear about 14% brighter than average, Space.com reported.

The moon reaches perigee at approx Wednesday, 8:50 p.m. ET. It will be 221,938 miles away – about 17,000 miles closer than average. Then it will grow overnight and officially reach full moon on Thursday at 7:26 a.m. ET.

Because the perigee and the full moon fall, The best time to get the full effect is Wednesday or Thursday at moonrise, Wes Ryle, an astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory, told BI.

Additionally, when the moon is near the horizon, it creates an optical illusion where the moon looks larger because there are usually trees or buildings to show the size, as opposed to a moon high in the sky.

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Use Time and Date's moonrise and moonset calculator to check when the moon will rise above the eastern horizon at your location.

While you don't need any special equipment to see the supermoon, Ryle recommends viewing it through a telescope if possible.

“Just seeing the dramatic increase in detail that the telescopic view brings is always a beautiful thing to experience with someone,” he said.

This year's four consecutive supermoons

This week's moon is the third of four consecutive supermoons this year. The next one will be in November.

What makes this week's moon unique is that the perigee and full moon coincide the closest compared to the other supermoons, making it the largest and brightest supermoon of the entire year.

“This is technically the largest supermoon of the four, only slightly surpassing the one in September,” Ryle said.

This week's full moon is also called the Hunter's Moon, taking its name from the time of year when animals gather for the cold months ahead and hunters store meat for the winter, according to the Farmers' Almanac.

Supermoons are relatively common. So if you miss this one, you won't have to wait long for the next one. “They kind of pair up for a short period of time, and you tend to get a few supermoons in a row,” Ryle said.

However, sometimes a supermoon coincides with a new moon, so it doesn't have the same effect of looking brighter than usual. This year, the four supermoons in a row are all full moons.

In 2025, there will be another cluster of supermoons in October, November and December.