If you were awake early Wednesday morning, you may have caught a glimpse of the supermoon for October — and it just happens to be the biggest full moon of 2024.
A supermoon will rise into the skies in the Chicago area Wednesday night, and it is indeed a special one thanks to another visitor from the stars.
According to the Adler Planetarium, the Hunter’s Supermoon will officially arrive on Thursday morning, but the evening will provide plenty of spectacle for those looking to the skies.
What’s more, Comet C/2023 A3 is also visible in the skies this month, giving stargazers another incredible sight to see.
Here’s what to know.
What makes the Hunter’s Supermoon special?
According to NASA, the October full moon will officially occur at 6:26 a.m. Thursday, and this month’s full moon is a “supermoon.”
What’s more, the moon will reach its perigee, its closest point to the Earth on its orbit around the planet, on Wednesday night, making Thursday’s full moon the closest of the year.
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Hunter’s Supermoon rises this week. Here’s what makes it so special
A “supermoon” appears slightly larger in the sky, and a good deal brighter than a moon at apogee, or its furthest point from the Earth in its orbit.
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What about Comet C/2023 A3?
According to EarthSky, Comet C/2023 A3 (or Comet A3 for short) is visible in the sky just after sunset in the Northern Hemisphere, and will be for several days.
The comet and its wispy tail will be visible near the planet Venus in the western sky at night, and according to the website, the comet could be the brightest to appear since Comet Hale-Bopp wowed the world in 1997.
If you can’t see the comet with your eyes, experts advise taking a picture with your phone, which can help accumulate additional light and to make the comet more visible.
Binoculars can also be used, but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should binoculars be used until the sun has set, experts warn.
