Prepare for an out-of-this-world sight tomorrow night, as the largest supermoon of the year will come into view over the eastern horizon.
A supermoon occurs when the full moon occurs at a time when the moon is closest to the Earth, making it larger and brighter in the sky. This will be the third out of four supermoons this year, with the first in August, and the last expected in November – but this will be the closest and largest supermoon.
When the moon is in its perigee, meaning it’s relatively close to the Earth, it is typically around 253,000 miles away, but this supermoon will come even closer, only 222,000 miles away at its peak.
While the supermoon’s effect is subtle to the naked eye, there are plenty of opportunities to get behind a telescope and check it out for yourself.
The Cincinnati Observatory is hosting a Supermoon Rising event on Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m. The event, in collaboration with the Originary Arts Initiative, will feature talks on lunar exploration, an expressive arts showcase and night sky viewing – weather permitting. Additionally, the event will showcase live entertainment from Tangled Roots and open-mic opportunities. Admission for the event is $12 for adults and $7 for children and observatory members.
Cincinnati Parks will hold a Supermoon Viewing event at Ault Park on Thursday from 6-8 p.m., hosted by Cincinnati Astronomer Dean Regas with help from other astronomers who will set up telescopes that will be available to view the supermoon.
There are also options to check out the supermoon from home if you aren’t able to make it to these community events.
If you have your own telescope or even a pair of binoculars at home, you can check out the supermoon for yourself and even snap a few pictures through the lens as bragging rights.
If you don’t have access to a telescope or binoculars, the Cincinnati Public Library offers 15 Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch astronomical telescopes for cardholders to borrow for up to seven days.
For more information on the Cincinnati Observatory, visit cincinnatiobservatory.com.
For more information on the Cincinnati Public Library, visit chpl.org.
This article appears in Oct 16-29, 2024.
