8 Facts about tonight's 'biggest and brightest supermoon'

Stargazers will be able to see the biggest and brightest "supermoon" in the sky in living memory tonight. The moon will rise above rooftops in the closest encounter for 69 years.

A rare "supermoon" will make the full lunar disc appear 14 per cent bigger and up to 30 per cent brighter than usual as it rises above the rooftops on Monday, in an event described by Nasa as "undeniably beautiful".

The supermoon will emerge after 5PM in the Midlands Credit: PA

Here's some facts about the supermoon:

  • There are on average 6 supermoons a year. Tonight’s is the closest the moon will be to the earth since 1948, which was 21 years before the first moon landing.

  • The moon will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual.

  • Its distance will be approximately 221,525 miles from the earth and it would take around 170 years to walk.

  • This is the second of three supermoons in a row with the next being on Dec 14th.

  • Its real name is a perigee-syzygy moon, the term supermoon was coined 37 years ago by astrologer Richard Nolle.

  • Any full moon can appear orange or red as dust and particles in the atmosphere filter out colours with a shorter wavelength.

  • The lunar cycle is 29.5 days. That’s why we can have two full moons in one calendar month. The second full moon is actually called a Blue moon.

  • 1948 was a special year as the LP record was first introduced to the world, the London Olympics was held, the NHS was established and most important of all Shakin Stevens was born.