With clear skies across the area Wednesday night, Chicagoans should be able to catch the incredible sight of a so-called "supermoon," which could be the closest and brightest of the year.
According to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologists, the area should remain clear with temperatures dipping into the 70s for an ideal summer night of moon-viewing.
The moonrise Wednesday night will be at 9:01 p.m. in the Chicago area.
A "supermoon" means the moon is closer than average to Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter, meteorologists said. The moon's distance from Earth changed throughout the year while it travels in an elliptical orbit.
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According to the Adler Planetarium, “supermoons” look approximately 15% bigger and brighter than normal full moons, although it isn’t always easy to tell, officials say.
This year, Earth will see consecutive “supermoons,” with June’s full moon also falling under the unofficial designation.
If you miss this month’s “supermoon,” you’ll have to wait a while to see the next one, as the next “supermoon” isn’t set to take the skies until Aug. 1, 2023.
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The July full moon, also known as the “Buck Moon,” will be approximately 222,000 miles from Earth on Wednesday, the closest it will be to the planet on a full moon evening in 2022, according to astronomers.
That is nearly 17,000 miles closer to Earth than it is on average, astronomers say.
