Australian stargazers will be able to witness a seemingly bigger and brighter moon in the sky tonight — a so-called supermoon. Here's what to know if you want to catch it. What is a supermoon and how common are they? The term 'supermoon' — coined in 1979 — describes a full moon that occurs "near or at the time when the moon is at the closest point in its orbit around Earth".
"The moon doesn't have a perfectly circular orbit. Sometimes it's a little closer. Sometimes it's a little further," Dr Kat Ross, science communicator and astrophysicist at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at Curtin University said.
When the moon is closest to Earth — referred to as 'perigee' — and is full at the same time, a supermoon occurs. In pictures: Millions turn out across North America to witness rare solar eclipse What time is the supermoon? "We're lucky. We'll get to experience this beautiful supermoon all over Australia.
Wherever you are, you'll get to see it," Ross said. Wednesday night's supermoon will rise after sunset or around dusk. The time varies depending on the state and territory, but is expected to peak at: 6pm AEST Sydney 6:26pm AEST Melbourne 5:53pm AEST Brisbane 6:09pm AEST Canberra 6:16pm AEST Hobart 6:23 pm ACST Adelaide 6:57pm ACST Darwin 6:29pm AWST Perth In pictures: First 'extreme' geomagnetic storm in 20 years triggers astonishing auroras How can I get the best view of the supermoon? To get the best view of Wednesday night's supermoon, skygaz.