Sorry Britain, you probably won't see the supermoon today
The world is getting ready for the biggest and brightest supermoon until 2034, but chances are that Britain will see very little or none of it because -- you know -- weather.
The moon will be at its closest -- only 221,524 miles (356,509 km) away -- at 11:21 a.m. London time but the best chance to see it will be after it rises above the horizon at around 4:45 p.m.
It will appear about 8% larger and about 15% brighter than average, Sky & Telescope magazine said in a press release, though the difference between the supermoon and a normal full moon will be quite difficult to discern for the human eye.
However, the Met Office's UK forecast suggests it will be cloudy when the supermoon is closest, though it still advised people to check the local forecast for the event:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
People have already started making jokes on Twitter about the grey sky covering Britain today:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Liam Dutton, weather presenter for Channel 4, suggested east Scotland, north-east Wales, north-east England and east of Northern Ireland as the places with the best chance of a glimpse of the moon:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Supermoons like these are rare thanks to the moon's wacky orbit. The natural satellite doesn't move around Earth in a perfect circle, which means that occasionally the moon will hit full phase when it is at its closest point (perigee) or farthest point (apogee) from the planet.
In the UK, the moon will turn full at 1:52 p.m., two and a half hours after reaching perigee. It will be the closest full moon since Jan. 26, 1948.
If you still hope for clear weather, these are the best places in the UK for skygazers:
Primrose Hill, London
Greenwich Park, London
Northumberland International Dark Sky Park
Cairngorms National Park
Loch Trool, Galloway Forest Park, Scotland
Spey Valley, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
BONUS: Clouds move around Saturn's largest moon
