Thu Oct 17 23:00:00 UTC 2024: ## October’s Supermoon Pairs Up with a Comet for a Rare Sky Show

**CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)** – Stargazers are in for a treat this week as October’s supermoon, the closest of the year, coincides with the appearance of a comet in the night sky.

This supermoon, the third of four this year, will be a mere 222,055 miles from Earth on Wednesday night, making it appear larger and brighter than usual. It will reach its full lunar phase on Thursday.

Adding to the celestial spectacle, Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, discovered last year, is now visible in the Northern Hemisphere after dazzling viewers in the Southern Hemisphere. While the moonlight will slightly dim the comet’s tail, NASA’s Bill Cooke encourages skywatchers to look for it after sunset.

“Most astronomers hate the full moon because its bright light messes up observing other objects. So it’s a bit hard for us to wax poetic about it even if it’s the biggest supermoon of 2024,” Cooke said in an email.

While this comet may not return, the celestial show isn’t over. The fourth and final supermoon of the year will grace the night sky on November 15th.

Supermoons occur when a full lunar phase aligns with the moon’s closest approach to Earth. This happens only three or four times a year, due to the moon’s elliptical orbit.

Though supermoons aren’t actually bigger, they can appear so due to their proximity to Earth. Scientists note that the difference in size is subtle, but the increased brightness is more noticeable.

With increased lunar exploration efforts underway, both in the U.S. and globally, the moon continues to capture our attention.

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