BEAUTY: 
BRAGGING RIGHTS: A beautiful sight
HOW EASY IS IT TO SEE? Just look up
TYPE: Special event DISCOVERED: First hyped 1979
Super-pseudoscience? With origins in astrology, discredited theories about earthquakes, and media hype, the term “supermoon” is sometimes avoided by astronomers. But any excuse to look at the sky is good, in my opinion, as long as you know what you’re seeing. A supermoon happens when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit (at perigee) and is simultaneously is in its full phase. When this happens, the full moon appears slightly bigger and brighter. Even so, judging the size of the moon is difficult. When the moon is close to the horizon it looks bigger to us than when it is high in the sky—probably because we’re comparing it against mountains and buildings. (This “Moon Illusion” has a bigger impact than the 14 percent increase in size due to a supermoon.) On supermoon day, look to the east at sunset to watch the moon rise. Seeing it against the horizon, maybe reddened by the intervening atmosphere, is a great way to get ready for the show.