A supermoon is coming on January 1, 2014.
The new moon is one of two in January, the other coming on January 30.
A supermoon is an unofficial term that means the moon is closer to the Earth than usual. In fact, the moon appears about 14 percent bigger than usual and 30 percent brighter than usual, according to NASA.
The main problem is that the two new moons won’t be visible for very many people, because a new moon rises when the sun rises.
People in parts of North America and some Pacific Ocean islands may be able to spot the new moons through binoculars.
The real treat is coming on August 10, the supermoon that will be the closest to the Earth of all year (221,765 miles). It will be visible in the night.
The best time to see the moon then will be when it’s hanging near the horizon.
“That is when illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view,” according to NASA. “For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects.”
The supermoons will also happen on July 12 and September 9 in 2014, according to EarthSky.
Because the moon is so close to Earth during these times, there is an impact on tides, according to NOAA. High tides will be a little higher and low tides will be a little lower.
