The full moon on November 24 will officially reach its peak at 11:53 a.m. in Brasília time, qualifying as a supermoon because it coincides with the satellite nearing its perigean point.
National Observatory astronomer Josina Oliveira do Nascimento said that the closest approach to the planet will actually occur the following day, November 25, at 6:02 p.m.
United States space agency NASA indicates this event initiates a three-month run of supermoons spanning through December and January. However, astronomers note that the visual difference in size remains subtle to the unaided eye.
Classification standards vary widely, with some definitions requiring a distance under 360,000 kilometers or a timing within 12 hours of the perigee. The November event qualifies strictly under a third metric, placing the satellite within the ten percent closest range of its elliptical orbit while sitting roughly 30 hours prior to perigee.
Viewers across Brazil will not need telescopes or binoculars to spot the phenomenon after sunset on November 24. Daylight hours will encompass the exact moment of fullness, making dusk the prime window for visibility as the moon ascends along the eastern horizon.
“Por questões de ilusão de ótica, quando a gente olha a Lua próxima do horizonte, ela parece ainda maior,” said Josina Oliveira do Nascimento, astronomer at the Observatório Nacional.
NASA points out that this visual expansion happens with ordinary full moons as well, independent of any actual orbital proximity. Observers can also expect subsequent astronomical occurrences during the month, including the peak of the Leonid meteor showers during the early hours of November 18.
Lunar phases for the period follow a distinct schedule across time zones, with the waning gibbous phase already passing on November 1 and the new moon arriving on November 9 at 4:02 a.m. The waxing half-moon takes place on November 17 at 8:47 a.m., leading directly into the full moon phase on November 24.
Regional times shift accordingly, placing the full moon at 9:53 a.m. in Acre and 12:53 p.m. in Fernando de Noronha. Observers tracking eclipses will find no lunar shadow events scheduled for November, with the next partial eclipse visible across the country slated for January 2028.
The moon satisfies specific orbital parameters by entering the closest ten percent of its distance range relative to Earth, resting approximately 360,768 kilometers away roughly 30 hours before reaching perigee on November 25.
Binoculars and telescopes are entirely unnecessary, as the enlarged appearance stems naturally from the low orbital distance and an optical illusion when the satellite clears the eastern horizon after sunset.
Following a lack of eclipses throughout November and a nearly imperceptible penumbral event in February 2027, a partial eclipse will become visible nationwide in January 2028.
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