The annual "supermoon" is set to occur Sunday night, but scientists tell Space.com it is more significant than an extra large moon.
When the moon rises Sunday night, it will appear 12 percent larger than normal because it is entering its fullest phase. This increase in size will mean the moon will be much brighter as well.
"It doesn't matter where you are, the full moon you're seeing will be the biggest for 2013," Michelle Thaller, the assistant director of science at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said. "That 12 percent size difference can mean as much as a 30 percent change in the brightness, so this will be a particularly bright supermoon."
Thaller said everyone will be able to see it as long as the weather is clear and that both Saturday and Sunday are ideal viewing nights. Supermoons are an annual occurrence, but this one will be the closest its been in a while.
"The closest the moon gets can actually vary much as much as the diameter of the Earth," Thaller said. "That seems like a pretty big number, but the moon is actually 30 times the diameter of the Earth away from us. If you line up 30 Earths, that's about the average distance of the moon away, but as it swings a little bit closer to us, that distance can vary."
More than a large moon very close to Earth, Thaller said it is a golden opportunity for scientists to study the moon. She said having it so close to the Earth makes it better for studying.
"The supermoon for [scientists] is a fun chance to talk about the changes in the sky [and] observing the universe," Thaller said. "As scientists, we like to observe the moon a little bit closer up and right now we have LRO, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft actually orbiting the moon. We're taking these incredible high resolution pictures of the entire lunar surface."
