If you missed last month’s spectacular due to cloudy weather, there is one last chance to see a supermoon this week.
Stargazers are once again praying for clear skies on Tuesday and Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the final supermoon of 2016.
This year has seen the full moons of October, November and December all take place when the moon is at its closest point of approach in its orbit around Earth — a so-called supermoon.
The final supermoon of the year is also special as it falls on the same night as the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. Unfortunately for astronomers, this means there will be poor meteor-viewing conditions as the light of the full moon will reduce visibility “five to ten fold,” according to a statement from NASA.
So rather than being able to see up to 120 multi-coloured meteors per hour during its peak, stargazers are likely see fewer than a dozen Geminids per hour.
If you don’t want to miss the final supermoon, here’s all you need to know about the astronomical event:
When is the December supermoon 2016?
The supermoon will appear in the night’s sky late on Tuesday December 13 and into Wednesday December 14.
This is because the moon is set to reach peak fullness at 12.05am GMT in the UK (7.05pm EST in the US) on Tuesday night.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon happens when there is a full moon and when the moon is particularly close to Earth during its orbit.
The moon orbits the Earth in an oval shape, meaning it is sometimes closer to the planet.
When the moon is at this stage, it is called its perigee and makes the moon appear bigger and brighter.
Astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term supermoon more 30 years ago but only recently has it become popular.
How close does the moon get?
The moon will be 221,524 miles from Earth - the closest it has got to Earth so far this century.
Scientists say it won’t be this close again until November 25, 2034.
The closest full moon of the whole of the 21st century will fall on December 6, 2052.
How can I see it?
You won’t need a telescope to spot the supermoon as it will be clearly visible to the naked eye.
For the best view, try to find somewhere where there aren’t many other lights.
When was the last supermoon?
The last supermoon - the biggest in nearly 70 years - took place in the middle of November.
The supermoon was particularly big because it was the first time that a completely full moon had come this close to Earth since 1948.
Send us your photographs!
Please email large photographs of the supermoon to firstname.lastname@example.org saying where you were. We’d especially love to see photographs including local buildings or landmarks. We will make a gallery of the best to share with readers.