Beaver Supermoon to be visible in Pakistan this evening: Suparco

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A supermoon rises over the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol dome in Washington, DC November 13, 2016. — AFP/File
A supermoon rises over the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol dome in Washington, DC November 13, 2016. — AFP/File

The Beaver Supermoon, when the moon is at its closest to Earth, will be visible worldwide tonight, including in Pakistan, according to a statement from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Wednesday.

According to Suparco, the moon’s distance from Earth varies between perigee (closest to Earth) and apogee (farthest), and when a full moon is at perigee or close to perigee, it becomes a supermoon.

The statement added that compared to a full moon at apogee, a full moon at perigee can appear up to 14 per cent larger and 30pc brighter, though the change is subtle to the naked eye.

The Beaver Supermoon is, according to the national space agency, the “closest, biggest, and brightest full moon of the year” and will reach peak illumination at 6:19pm, the statement read.

“At its nearest point, the moon will be 356,980 kilometres from Earth, making it 7.9pc larger and 16pc brighter than a typical full moon,” it added. “It is the second in a trio of consecutive supermoons (October, November, December 2025) and will be visible worldwide, including Pakistan, offering a breathtaking view in the night sky.”

According to the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or Nasa, the name emerges from the Maine Farmer’s Almanack, which first published Native American names for the full moons in the 1930s.

“According to this almanack, the Native American tribes of what is now the northern and eastern United States named this the Beaver Moon,” Nasa says on its website.

In October, Suparco announced that a supermoon would be visible from Pakistan at 8:47pm on October 7, rising in the east just after sunset and setting in the west just before dawn.

In September, a rare blood moon — a total lunar eclipse — eluded Karachi stargazers as heavy cloud cover blocked the view.

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