



It's eyes to the skies again this weekend as the largest moon in our lifetime prepares to rise over Scotland.





After a year of meteor showers and comets, this much anticipated astrology event will be the closest the moon has been to Earth since January 1948.

During the event, the moon will appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than an average full moon.

This is the closest the moon will get to Earth until November 2034, so keen snappers will be eagerly looking to capture some stellar shots.

What is a supermoon?

It wasn't until 1979 that Astrologer Richard Nolle first defined the supermoon, now a widely-used term, as a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.

Supermoon now refers more broadly to a full moon that is closer to Earth than average.

Supermoons will get smaller in the future as the moon is slowly propelling itself out of Earth's orbit, moving 3.8cm further from the Earth each year.

What makes this one special?

A supermoon happens three times in 2016. On October 16 and December 14, the moon becomes full on the same day as perigee - the point in the orbit of the moon at which it is nearest to the earth.

On November 14, it becomes full within about two hours of perigee, making it seem like an extra-super moon and the biggest it has looked in nearly seven decades.

It will not only the closest full moon of 2016 but also the closest full moon to date in the 21st century. The full moon won't come this close to Earth again until November 25, 2034.

Where can I see it?

If you want to catch the November 14 supermoon, be sure to find somewhere nice and dark, far away from the lights of the city, if you can.

As long as the sky is clear, you'll have a brilliant opportunity to take some photographs.

STV presenter and meteorologist Sean Batty will have a full report on Scotland's skies closer to the weekend so watch this space.

How can I photograph it?

The supermoon phenomenon captures the minds of astro photographers across the world as it provides a rare opportunity to take awe-inspiring imagery of the moon at its greatest.

So just how do you go about photographing the closest full supermoon of the century?

While a fascinating subject for local photographers, taking the perfect shot isn't easy.

Experienced astro-photographer Andrew Whyte has worked with Sony to draw up a list of recommendations for enthusiastic lunar snappers.



