'Supermoon' to rise on Thursday

The Gwacheon National Science Museum will host various programs on Thursday evening as the moon rises at the closest distance to Earth.

A "micromoon," left, and a "supermoon" [KOREA ASTRONOMY & SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE]

The largest possible full moon will rise on Thursday, a year and two months since the last one on Aug. 31, 2023.

According to the Gwacheon National Science Museum in Gyeonggi on Monday, the “supermoon” is set to rise at 5:38 p.m. on Thursday and set at 7:22 a.m. the next day. The distance between the moon and the earth will be 357,200 kilometers (221,954 miles) and the angular diameter of the moon will be 33.95 degrees.

A supermoon refers to the moon when it is the closest to Earth, making it appear at its largest. It is 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than the “micromoon,” when it is the furthest from Earth.

The museum will host a special observation event on the day of the supermoon from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The observation session will be free and open to all. Footage of the supermoon will be broadcast live on the museum’s official YouTube channel.

The event will also host other programs alongside the observation session. A lecture on the supermoon will be available to people over the age of seven. The museum is also hosting a badge-making experience, where participants will make a badge that is shaped like the moon.

"I hope you will watch the largest full moon of the year with your family, friends and loved ones, make a wish and enjoy various programs together,” said Han Hyung-ju, President of Gwacheon National Science Museum.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]