It’s time to start preparing for the tomorrow’s Supermoon, it’s set to be a spectacular site! When the nearest celestial body to our planet will be the closest to Earth it has been since 1948… and if you miss it, you’ll have to wait until 2034 to see it again!
Decembers supermoon is the Beyoncé of astrological phenomena… it goes by more than just a few names; “Supermoon”, “Full Cold Moon”, the “Beaver Moon” and the “Hunter’s Moon.”
The moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular, it occasionally get’s a little closer to the Earth, sometimes by over 30,000 miles, when it does, we call it a supermoon. The supermoon can look up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than it would normally.
But, when is the best time to observe this phenomenon? The best viewing time is believed to be in the first thirty minutes after the moon rises, which it will at 4:59 p.m. on tomorrow (Sunday, December 3).
PRO TIP: Don’t immediately check your phone or take pictures – The light from the screen will mess with your eye’s natural night vision.
Check out what you can expect tomorrow, here you can see images from last November’s supermoon, :
The key to seeing it at it’s best is low light-pollution. I know, that’s not easy in NYC. Check out the light pollution map below:
Again, don’t despair, there are a few places where you’ll be able to enjoy the Supermoon, even with the cities light pollution problem, we’d recommend:
A Rooftop Bar or Rooftop Access
This goes without saying, but this isn’t for people who live in Times Square or if you’re surrounded by high rises. Avoid rooftop bars in areas with more light pollution like Midtown and hit Downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn.We get it, rooftop bars can be overpriced and crowded, but seeing the supermoon with a drink in hand might just be too perfect to miss.
The High Line
This goes without saying really. There are already clubs of stargazers that hit up the High Line for the best views of the stars in the city. Sure, your view may be somewhat blocked in certain parts of the High Line, but it stretches from Gansevoort Street all the way to 34th Street, so you are bound to find a place with an unobstructed view.
Central Park
Find somewhere where the city lights aren’t in your immediate eye-line or you are far enough away from the light (Maybe Sheep Meadow) and central Park might just be the BEST place to see the Supermoon!
The Brooklyn Bridge & Brooklyn Bridge Park
Stroll part or all of the way across it to watch the Supermoon.
Anywhere Along The East River
Go to South Street Seaport or the East River Park if you’re downtown or to the East River Walk if you’re closer to the Upper East Side.
If you miss this one, there will be another supermoon on January 2 and 3rd.
Featured image source [Anthony Quintano | Flickr]