Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen over the hills near the village of Aguas Blancas, Lavalleja Department, Uruguay, at dawn on Sept. 28, 2024.Photo by MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images

October’s supermoon pairs with a comet for a special nighttime spectacle

Fourth and final supermoon of 2024 will rise on Nov. 15

by · National Post

October’s supermoon is the closest moon to the earth this year and it’s teaming up with a comet for a rare stargazing two-for-one.

“Most astronomers hate the full moon because its bright light messes up observing other objects. So it’s a bit hard for us to wax poetic about it even if it’s the biggest supermoon of 2024,” said NASA’s Bill Cooke.

The third of four supermoons was 222,055 miles (357,364 kilometres) away Wednesday night, making it seem even bigger and brighter than the full moon in August and September. It reached its full lunar phase on Thursday.