UAE: Watch the final supermoon of 2022 on Thursday

The final and fourth supermoon of the year will light -up the UAE skies this Thursday (August 11). The supermoon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, is named after the sturgeon fish caught during this time of year.

The best time to observe the celestial display, when it's at the closest from the Earth, is from a vantage point.

Experts explain a supermoon can appear up to 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than a full moon when it is furthest from the Earth.

Elucidating on this technical phenomenon, Sarath Raj N.S, Project Director – Amity Dubai Satellite Ground Station, Programme Leader – Aerospace Engineering at Amity University Dubai said, “Currently, the Earth's equatorial plane and the lunar orbit are both inclined to 23.44° and 5.1°, respectively, to the ecliptic.

"Due to the Moon's eccentric orbit and its location relative to the Earth, the distance between the two bodies change. Lunar perigee is the term used to describe when the Moon gets closer to the Earth.

During a lunar apogee, the Moon is at its greatest distance from Earth. A supermoon occurs when the lunar perigee happens to fall close to a full moon and a micromoon appears when the lunar apogee happens very near to a full moon.”

"Due to the Moon's eccentric orbit and location relative to the Earth, the distance between the two bodies changes. Lunar perigee is the term used to describe when the Moon gets closer to the Earth.

During a lunar apogee, the Moon is at its greatest distance from Earth. A supermoon occurs when the lunar perigee happens to fall close to a full moon, and a micromoon appears when the lunar apogee happens very near to a full moon."

Raj then explains when and where these moons appear. “Irrespective of the location of the Earth, full moons always rise near sunset in the east and set close to sunrise in the west.”

The lunar show clashes with Perseid meteor shower this year

• Look: Biggest supermoon of year lights up UAE sky