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Catch supermoon next Tuesday, head to East Coast Park for best view

A bird flies in front of the year’s first supermoon on 21 January, 2019, in Lisbon. (AP file photo)
A bird flies in front of the year’s first supermoon on 21 January, 2019, in Lisbon. (AP file photo)

Astronomy enthusiasts in Singapore should look up to the sky early Tuesday night (19 February) to catch a glimpse of the supermoon.

It is the second supermoon event of the year; the first took place on 21 January.

The phenomenon happens when a full moon appears bigger and brighter as it is at the closest distance to Earth.

Observers can get the best view of the supermoon at moonrise, which happens around 7.30pm next Tuesday, said a Science Centre Singapore (SCS) spokesperson on Friday.

“We recommend looking for the moon near the horizon and the best place to view it in Singapore is at East Coast Park which has a clear view of the eastern horizon,” the spokesperson added.

If the sky is clear, the supermoon will “appear very bright and 14 per cent bigger than the farthest full moon this year”, said the spokesperson.

The colour of the moon will also change depending on the amount of water vapour or smoke particles in the air.

The third and last supermoon of the year can be seen on 21 March. However, the supermoon will be “slightly smaller” than the one on 19 February.

As the moon is significantly larger than the smallest full moon in the year, it is still considered a supermoon event, said the spokesperson.

If you miss the supermoon in March, the next time to catch one would be on 9 March 2020.

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