--- title: What Is a Supermoon? Here's How to View the 2017 Phenomenon description: A supermoon, the only supermoon of 2017, will occur on Dec. 3, 2017. Here's how, when and where to see the supermoon canonical: https://time.com/5046330/what-is-supermoon-2017/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-02T16:08:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:25:44.885Z article:section: Science og:title: Here's How to See the Supermoon This Weekend og:description: Plus: What is a supermoon, anyway? og:url: https://time.com/5046330/what-is-supermoon-2017/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00e0871a482d6f6f/6988f36622fb855172e23e25/supermoon-2017.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: A View The Supermoon Phenomenon In Aceh, Indonesia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's How to See the Supermoon This Weekend twitter:description: Plus: What is a supermoon, anyway? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00e0871a482d6f6f/6988f36622fb855172e23e25/supermoon-2017.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Only Supermoon of 2017 Is Coming. Here's When to View It  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Dec 2, 2017 4:08 PM UTC  A view of the Supermoon phenomenon in Aceh Province, Indonesia. A view of the Supermoon phenomenon in Aceh Province, Indonesia.NurPhoto—NurPhoto via Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Dec 2, 2017 4:08 PM UTC This weekend, sky-watchers can look forward to a phenomenon that hasn’t yet graced the skies this year: a supermoon. Before you dig out your telescope, however, here’s what you need to know about the only supermoon of 2017 — and the best time to view it. ## What is a supermoon? The moon makes an elliptical orbit around Earth once every 27 days, while a full moon happens once every 29.5 days. When the moon is full during the portion of its orbit that brings it closest to Earth, [Space.com reports](https://www.space.com/38940-supermoon-facts.html), a supermoon occurs. Supermoons look a bit brighter and closer to Earth than average full moons, though it can be hard to spot the differences without a telescope. Supermoons are sometimes called cold moons, [according to _National Geographic_](https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/how-to-see-brightest-supermoon-2017-december-space-science/)_._ ## When’s the best time to view the supermoon? The only supermoon of the year is slated for Dec. 3, 2017, at precisely 15:47 UTC, [according to EarthSky.org](http://earthsky.org/moon-phases/full-moon). After that, there will be supermoons on Jan. 2 and Jan. 31, 2018\. Time your viewing for just after local sunset, _National Geographic_ suggests, when the “moon illusion” will make the orb look especially large and vibrant. ## How can I see the supermoon? While you likely won’t be blown away if you look for the supermoon with your naked eye, _National Geographic_ says you may see enhanced effects using cameras with telephoto lenses, binoculars or telescopes. You can also watch [a livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/). ## What’s the difference between a supermoon and a Blue Moon? A Blue Moon refers to the second full moon in a calendar month — which is rare, since full moons occur every 29.5 days, [according to NASA](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/blue%5Fmoon.html). A Blue Moon can be a supermoon, just like any other full moon. In fact, the supermoon slated for Jan. 31, 2018, will be both, [making it a Super Blue Moon](http://earthsky.org/?p=270280). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5046330/what-is-supermoon-2017/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5046330/what-is-supermoon-2017/"},"headline":"The Only Supermoon of 2017 Is Coming. 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