Supermoon 2017: Sunday Night Is The One And Only

Iowans can witness a special occurrence in the nighttime sky this weekend and it has nothing to do with holiday lights or flying reindeer. The only supermoon of 2017 is set to rise Sunday.

Supermoons are the biggest of the full moons due to their perfectly circular orbit making a closer proximity to Earth. As a result of being 30,000 miles nearer, the supermoon will appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, according to Space.com. While they don't occur with every full moon, this one will usher in three consecutive full moons that qualify as supermoons. The next two full moon supermoons arrive Jan. 2 and Jan. 31.

Watch Now: Last Supermoon Of The Year This Weekend

Scientists say the best viewing times are the first half hour after moonrise. In Des Moines, supermoon 2017 will rise at 5:18 p.m. Sunday.

A full moon by any other name...

Each month's full moons have a special name — September's Harvest Moon likely being the most well known — and some months there are multiple names, derived by seasonal activities or symbolic events in cultures often dating to ancient time. According to National Geographic, these are common full moon names:

• January: Wolf Moon
• February: Snow Moon
• March: Worm Moon
• April: Pink Moon
• May: Flower Moon
• June: Strawberry Moon
• July: Buck Moon
• August: Sturgeon Moon
• September: Harvest Moon
• October: Hunter's Moon
• November: Beaver Moon
• December: Cold Moon or Full Cold Moon, Moon Before Yule, Long Night Moon or Oak Moon.

Find out the meaning behind the names and more information on full moons form National Geographic.

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