The sky gazers can enjoy a bigger and brighter full moon on Thursday and Friday due to its closeness to earth. “This week’s full moon will be the biggest in the year,” NASA experts said.

Warning
However, the experts have cautioned against observing the full moon through a telescope without an appropriate filter as it could damage the eyes.

“The Moon’s orbit is an ellipse with one side 30,000 miles closer to Earth than the other. The full Moon of October 25-26 is located on the near side, making it appear as much as 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than lesser full Moons we’ve seen earlier in 2007,” one of the NASA’s alert web sites www.spaceweather.com said on Wednesday.

“The moon’s orbit is an ellipse with one side 48,000 km closer to earth than the other. This week’s full moon, on Thursday and Friday, will be located on the side near to the earth, making it appear bigger and brighter,” NASA scientists said.

Director of Maharashtra-based Akashganga Centre for Astronomy Bharat Adur said usually the full moon is positioned in south during this time of the year (October to December).
Hence the moon will appear much brighter from the equatorial region on Thursday and Friday.