A rare celestial event is set to take place on Wednesday night, as the moon reaches its largest and brightest point of the year. Dubbed a "supermoon," this phenomenon occurs when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit around Earth, known as perigee, coinciding with a full moon.
As a result, the moon will appear about 226,000 miles from our planet, significantly closer than its average distance of 251,000 miles. This close proximity will amplify the moon's size and brightness by up to 14% and 30%, respectively, according to NASA estimates.
For skywatchers, Wednesday's supermoon promises to be a spectacular sight, with the moon rising at 4:42 p.m. and setting the following day at 8:06 a.m. However, partly cloudy skies in the evening may impact visibility of this phenomenon.
Meteorologists have noted that while supermoons do not directly affect temperatures, they can cause higher-than-normal tides. In some cases, this has led to flooding warnings and road closures, particularly when coupled with other weather conditions like heavy rain or high water levels.
This year's supermoon is expected to pose a relatively low risk for flooding, thanks in part to the dominant offshore winds and tidal flow. According to Paul Fitzsimmons, lead meteorologist at NWS Mount Holly, "it's very nuanced" and difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons behind such events, as numerous factors can come into play.
The first supermoon of 2025 occurred on October 6th, while this Wednesday marks the second in a series of three upcoming supermoons. The final one is scheduled for December 4th.
As a result, the moon will appear about 226,000 miles from our planet, significantly closer than its average distance of 251,000 miles. This close proximity will amplify the moon's size and brightness by up to 14% and 30%, respectively, according to NASA estimates.
For skywatchers, Wednesday's supermoon promises to be a spectacular sight, with the moon rising at 4:42 p.m. and setting the following day at 8:06 a.m. However, partly cloudy skies in the evening may impact visibility of this phenomenon.
Meteorologists have noted that while supermoons do not directly affect temperatures, they can cause higher-than-normal tides. In some cases, this has led to flooding warnings and road closures, particularly when coupled with other weather conditions like heavy rain or high water levels.
This year's supermoon is expected to pose a relatively low risk for flooding, thanks in part to the dominant offshore winds and tidal flow. According to Paul Fitzsimmons, lead meteorologist at NWS Mount Holly, "it's very nuanced" and difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons behind such events, as numerous factors can come into play.
The first supermoon of 2025 occurred on October 6th, while this Wednesday marks the second in a series of three upcoming supermoons. The final one is scheduled for December 4th.
. Only a slight risk of flooding tho 
. I'm more worried about those flooding warnings tho, remember how crazy that was in 2018? thankfully our weather forecasters are keeping a close eye on things and it seems like this one's gonna be relatively low-key... still can't wait to see it though!
did u know that the supermoon will also make tides a bit crazy tho? 
i hope everyone stays safe and prepared just in case
. Supermoons are always so breathtakingly beautiful! You know, my wife and I used to take our grandkids out on the beach every full moon. They'd run around like maniacs playing in the waves as we sat back and enjoyed the show. It's moments like those that remind me how magical life can be 
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. btw, have you guys ever noticed how these supermoons are like, a reminder that there's still so much magic in this world 
? I mean, who needs fancy science when you can just appreciate the awesomeness of it all?! 
so there's this supermoon thingy happening and it'll be nice to see i guess, but have you seen the news about climate change 
scientists are saying that these supermoons can cause higher-than-normal tides which can lead to flooding warnings and road closures... not exactly the kind of excitement we need in our lives 
plus it's only the second one this year already? what's next? a series of bad weather events 
My grandma lives by the coast, and she was telling me about how the flooding warnings last year were super scary. I'm just glad it's not expected to be as bad this time around. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly! 
. Like, I've always been fascinated by space stuff and now we get to see the moon looking all extra big and bright in our skies. It's wild to think that it'll be like 14% bigger than usual! But at the same time, I'm a bit bummed about the partly cloudy skies ruining the view 
. On a more serious note, though, I guess supermoons can cause some problems with flooding and tides, so it's good that this one is expected to be pretty mild 
. Still, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it from my window 
...
and btw did u no that supermoons can cause flooding lol dont wanna get caught out by the tides 
they're always gonna be too close, too bright, and it's not like it's gonna change their life or anything... and yeah, the tidal waves might be a bit higher, but who cares? it's just water 
