Abu Dhabi: The last time the moon got this close to earth was in 1948, making the latest supermoon event on Monday quite a historical one, and even more so for the fact that it will be witnessed for the first time by the capital’s space observatory.

Supermoons happen when a full or new moon occurs during its closest approach to earth during its orbit, and so the moon appears larger and brighter than usual. The event itself will be observable across the planet — including the UAE — with the moon appearing brightest at sunset.

In Abu Dhabi the supermoon will be viewed from the Al Sadeem Observatory in Al Wathba, the capital’s first ever space observatory that opened in June, with the observatory hosting its own supermoon party.

“The last time a supermoon like this happened was 68 years ago, and the next time it will be the closest to earth will be in 2034, so this is quite a rare and special astronomical event to witness,” said Andy Palado, one of the observatory’s founding partners.

“The distance between the earth and the moon will be around 363,000 kilometres apart, and so the size of the moon will be 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter,” he added.

Palado said he was proud of the fact that there will be a gathering of space enthusiasts at the observatory to mark the event, calling it a milestone for the astronomy community in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

“This is special because it will be the first time in Abu Dhabi to see a supermoon happening from a space observatory — it will be a unique event and a very big milestone for the astronomy community in Abu Dhabi because we really are making history.

“As part of our viewing event we will be hosting lectures about the moon, camping out in the desert, and of course taking photographs and viewing the moon with all our telescopes, including the main observatory telescope. We will be at the observatory from sunset until the early hours of the next day,” he added.

With the moon being so close to earth, Palado said that their telescopes would be able to get a very clear and in-depth view of the moon and its surface.

“It’s going to be very exciting because we are going to be able to see the moon’s craters and its other natural landscapes.

“We will be collecting data as well for scientific research purposes, so information like the distance of the moon and the timings will all be recorded to use for future study purposes — this will be both an exciting and educational event,” he added.

For inquiries and bookings, visit the observatory’s main website http://www.abudhabiastronomy.com