The last supermoon of the year will shine soon in December skies.
The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. When a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit, a so-called supermoon happens. It makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.
Supermoons happen a few times a year in clusters, taking advantage of the sweet spot in the moon's elliptical orbit, and Thursday night’s event is the last of three in a row in 2025.