The Brightest Supermoon in 70 Years

The phenomenon of 'moon illumination' or 'supermoon' occurs when the moon is in its full disk state at its closest and brightest position to Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported that the moon on Monday evening is the closest to Earth and added that after this supermoon, the next supermoon will appear after 18 years on November 25, 2034 (Saturday, 4 Azar 1413 in the Persian calendar). The supermoon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon. The supermoon on Monday, November 14, is reported to be the largest and brightest since 1948, marking nearly seventy years, and NASA has referred to it as the 'great supermoon.' Supermoons are actually quite common phenomena, occurring on average every 14 months, although some supermoons are larger and brighter than others because they occasionally find themselves in a closer position to Earth, thus appearing larger and brighter. The moon orbits in an elliptical path, reaching a maximum distance of about 406,000 kilometers and a minimum of about 356,000 kilometers from Earth. The distance of the moon on Monday, November 14, was reported to be 356,509 kilometers from Earth. According to NASA's website, the year 2016 will end with three supermoons; the supermoon on October 16 in the previous month, the supermoon on November 14, and the supermoon on December 14 in the following month, although this supermoon on Monday, November 14, is larger and brighter than the other two. The most striking moment of the supermoon on Monday was reported at 13:52 GMT, equivalent to 17:22 in Iran. According to Iranian news agencies, the supermoon will be visible in the sky of Iran from the northeast starting at 17:15 on Monday evening. Reports from Iranian media added that the polluted air in Tehran and other major cities is unlikely to significantly affect the visibility of the supermoon on November 24.