‘Jordan’s skies to witness supermoon on Monday’

AMMAN — A supermoon is expected to be visible in Jordan’s skies on Monday night, the Jordanian Astronomical Society said on Thursday.

Dalal Lala, a member of the society, told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the supermoon phenomenon is a state in which the moon is in its full-moon stage and is at the point of its orbit that is closest to Earth — by 48,280 kilometres.

A supermoon, a full moon at perigee, can be as much as 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than an apogee full moon, according to the NASA website.

The full moon of November 14 is not only the closest full moon of 2016 but also the closest full moon to date in the 21st century. The full moon will not come this close to Earth again until November 25, 2034, NASA said.