Viewing Hunter’s Supermoon in Maine: Here’s the local forecast

A supermoon will be lighting up the night sky this week and will be the closest full moon to Earth this year.More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.A supermoon can appear bigger than a normal full moon, although scientists say the difference can be discerned by only the keenest observers. But it is easier to detect the change in brightness — a supermoon can be 30% brighter than average.Since it comes after last month’s harvest moon, this full moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon because hunters can more easily see animals since the harvesters have reaped the fields.The moon will be 95% full Tuesday night, but it will be 100% full both Wednesday night and Thursday night, according to Maine’s Total Weather.”We will have perfect viewing conditions for it, as well,” said WMTW meteorologist Colleen Hurley.Moonrise is at 5:06 p.m. on Tuesday and 5:28 p.m. on Wednesday.”As the sun sets to the west, look to the northeast to see the moon rising,” Hurley said.In addition, Mainers have a chance to see a rare comet over the next few nights with clear skies.Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should be bright enough to see with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will give a better view.The comet, also designated C/2023 A3, was discovered last year and is named for the observatories in China and South Africa that spied it. It came from what’s known as the Oort Cloud well beyond Pluto.After making its closest approach about 44 million miles (71 million kilometers) from Earth, it won’t return for another 80,000 years — assuming it survives the trip.”About 45 minutes after sunset, if you look toward the western horizon, you may be able to faintly see that comet,” Hurley said.Tuesday’s sunset is at 5:56 p.m.Hunter’s Supermoon, which will be 222,055 miles away from Earth, is the third of four supermoons happening in a four-month period.August’s full moon had the distinction of being a supermoon and a blue moon, while September’s full moon was a harvest supermoon that was partially eclipsed.November’s supermoon will be 224,853 miles away from Earth.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.