MUST SEE: December Super Moon lights up night sky in Canada
Digital Reporter
Monday, December 4, 2017, 8:00 AM - Canadians were greeted to the largest Full Moon of the year Sunday night.
"The Moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical, rather than circular, so at times it is closer to us, and other times it is farther away," says The Weather Network's meteorologist Scott Sutherland. "As this happens, month by month, there are certain Full and New Moons that are closer than others. If the Full Moon or the New Moon occurs when the Moon is closer than 361,524 km (90 per cent of the average distance between the Moon and Earth), it's known - at least colloquially - as a Super Moon."
Super Moons can appear up to 14 per cent larger than a "normal" Full Moon, and about 30 per cent brighter, adds Sutherland.
There have been three Super Moons so far this year. They occured on April 26, May 25 and June 24. However, December's was much more noticeable as it was the closest Full Moon of 2017.
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If you missed December 3-4's Super Moon, you will have to wait until the New Year for the next one, which is set to rise on January 1.
See photos of the Super Moon below:
Image courtesy: Chris Knox -- Colborne, Ontario
Image courtesy: Denise Chambers -- Hinton, Alberta
Image courtesy: Christa Patterson -- Sherwood Park, Alberta
Image courtesy: Gerry Neville -- Guelph, Ontario
Image courtesy: Chris Wilbur -- Windsor, Ontario
Image courtesy: Eric Hayton -- Cambridge, Ontario
Image courtesy: Shutter Bug -- Ottawa Ontario
