The largest, brightest full moon in nearly seven decades will be on display in the coming days, promising Earth-bound sky-watchers a celestial "supermoon" spectacle. The moon's distance from Earth varies because it is in an egg-shaped, not circular, orbit around the planet. If skies are clear, the upcoming full moon will appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual, making it what is called a supermoon, according to NASA. A supermoon occurs when the timing of a full moon overlaps with the point in the moon's 28-day orbit that is closest to Earth. About every 14th full moon is a supermoon, said University of Wisconsin astronomer Jim Lattis.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 13, 2016 21:57 UTC