Supermoon to shine above Earth on July 12

On July 12 overnight, one will be able to eyewitness a remarkable astronomical phenomenon known as the Supermoon. The phenomenon occurs when full moon coincides with the moment of closest distance between the Earth and the Moon.

During Supermoon, the Earth's natural satellite seems about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual. The Moon looks like a huge glowing ball as it passes through perigee (the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit). At this point, the Moon is about 50,000 kilometers closer to Earth than at apogee (the farthest point).

Such differences in distances are due to the elliptical shape of the lunar orbit. In 2014, Supermoon will occur on August 10 and September 9.