An airplane silhouettes against the supermoon on
19 February, 2019 in Nuremberg, southern Germany( AFP/Getty )
A trio of full moons will appear bigger and brighter this Spring
Anthony Cuthbertson Friday 21 February 2020
Three successive supermoons this Spring will give sky gazers the opportunity to witness the rare spectacle for an entire season in 2020.
Each month between March and May, the full moon will be near to its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear bigger and brighter than usual.
The first of these supermoons takes place on 9 March, when the full moon passes at 357,404km (222,081 miles) from Earth.
On 8 April, the full moon passes even closer at just 357,035km, making it the closest a full moon has been to Earth since February last year.
Weather permitting, this will be the most impressive supermoon of 2020, with the final supermoon on 7 May passing at 361,184km from Earth.
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An effect called the "Moon illusion" means that the moon will appear even bigger when it is rising or setting over the horizon and there are objects like trees or buildings within the line of sight.
"Because these relatively close objects are in front of the moon, our brain is tricked into thinking the moon is much closer to the objects that are in our line of sight," explained Mitzi Adams, a solar scientist at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center.
"At moon rise or set, it only appears larger than when it is directly overhead because there are no nearby objects with which to compare it."
A full moon passes behind The Shard skyscraper on
9 September, 2014 in London, England (Getty Images)
A supermoon earlier this month conincided with Storm Ciara in the UK, meaning viewing conditions were severely affected for people in the UK.
Long range forecasts from the Met Office suggest March's supermoon will be accompanied by more favourable weather, especially in the south of the country.
"A continuation of the unsettled weather is expected at first, with spells of rain and strong winds broken by brighter but showery conditions," the weather service states on its website.
"The heaviest rain and strongest winds are expected in the northwest, with drier conditions expected in southern and eastern parts. It will perhaps become more generally settled by the middle of March, with more prolonged dry spells possible, especially in the south."
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