The third consecutive supermoon of the year has arrived; Don’t miss the sky tonight

The weekend sky will host the third phenomenon of this year’s series of four consecutive supermoons. This event, which is known as the cold supermoon, can be seen from the evening of Thursday, 13 Azar, Iran time, and places the disc of the moon at the highest point in the sky throughout the year.

A supermoon occurs when the fullness of the moon coincides with its closest distance from Earth (orbital perigee). This coincidence makes the moon appear about 10% bigger and brighter than normal. The peak of this phenomenon and the closest distance of the moon to the earth will be at 2:44 am on Friday, December 14, Tehran time, although the moon will be very bright and large throughout the nights of Thursday and Friday.

The unique feature of Azar supermoon is its high height in the sky. As the winter solstice approaches on January 1st, the sun’s path reaches its lowest point in the daytime sky, and since the full moon is always opposite the sun, its path in the night sky reaches the highest possible height of the year and creates a spectacular sight.

Those interested in watching this phenomenon do not need special tools and it is enough to find a clear and open horizontal sky. If you miss this opportunity, the fourth and last supermoon of this series will rise on January 14, 1404 (January 3, 2026). Also, 2026 will be a special year for astronomy enthusiasts with 13 full months.