Supermoon Week

NASA

It's a Supermoon week!

The moon is full Sunday after being almost full Saturday night. It's currently making its closest approach to the Earth -- the definition of a supermoon.

That combination is making the moon seem about 14 percent larger in diameter than usual, NASA said. Supermoons typically appear about 30 percent brighter than the usual moon.

And this is a particularly bright supermoon for the United States, thanks to the more intense sunlight that reflects off the moon in winter, NASA said.
As if that weren't enough: This supermoon, the only one visible in 2017, is also a Super Frost Moon.

This last full moon of the year is known as a Frost Moon, Cold Moon or Moon Before Yule. It doesn't always correspond with a supermoon (though it did in December 2016).
In other words: Don't miss it.

You can currently see the Super Frost Moon. Current conditions are favorable for viewing, though there may be clouds in the far northeast and in the central parts of the country. (If that happens to you, check out this Virtual Telescope for some gorgeous pictures from elsewhere.)

And if you want to snap a picture on your smartphone, don't zoom in using your camera app, advises a National Geographic photographer.

Two other tips? National Geographic suggests putting the phone down. "Supermoons aren’t rare, but they’re not an everyday occurrence either. Don’t be so focused on your sensor that you miss such an otherworldly sight," they said.

And NASA, which apparently has a sense of humor, suggests dressing for the occasion. "As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon."