Year’s biggest supermoon to light up tonight, the most beautiful moonlit night of the year
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : Today is the auspicious day of Margashirsha Purnima, and amidst the full moonlight, this night will be special for astronomy enthusiasts. The final and largest supermoon of 2025, also known as the full moon, will shine in the sky tonight.
10% bigger, 30% brighter moon than the normal full moon
This time the moon will be very close to the Earth - at a distance of about 3,57,000 kilometers. This is the reason why today's moon will appear about 10 percent bigger and about 30 percent brighter than the normal full moon. This is why it has been named Cold Supermoon. Supermoon is formed when the moon reaches the closest to the Earth in its orbit and takes the form of full moon. When this happens, its brightness and size increases and the night sky looks very mesmerizing.
The Supermoon will begin to be visible in India around 7 p.m. at moonrise, and the moon will appear orange, making it even more attractive. If the weather remains clear, it will be easily visible without a telescope from all parts of the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru.
Jupiter will also create a wonderful accompaniment in the sky tonight. Tonight will see not only the supermoon, but also the winter constellations and the planet Jupiter shining near the moon. This combination will make tonight's sky even more magical.
Why will today be the highest moon of the year?
Today's supermoon has another unique feature—it will be the highest moon of the year. The full moon in December rises highest each year because the winter solstice falls on December 21st. On this day, the sun is at its lowest point in its orbit, and the moon always faces the opposite direction. Consequently, the lower the sun goes, the higher the moon rises in the sky. Consequently, when the moon rises about an hour after sunset on the evening of December 5th, the entire sky will appear bathed in its light—the most beautiful moonlit night of the year.