Don’t miss it: 2025’s largest full moon to glow over the UAE on November 5

Abu Dhabi: The skies over the United Arab Emirates will witness the appearance of a “supermoon” on the night of November 4, 2025 (the evening leading into November 5). It will be the largest and brightest full moon of the year.

In an exclusive statement to Gulf News, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, said that the UAE and the rest of the world will observe what is scientifically known as a “supermoon” or perigee full moon on the night of November 5, 2025. During this event, the moon will reach its perigee position — the closest point to Earth in its orbit — at a distance of approximately 356,980 kilometers, marking the nearest approach of the moon to Earth in 2025.

Al Jarwan explained that the moon alternates between its closest point to Earth, known as perigee(around 356,000 km), and its farthest point, apogee (around 406,000 km), roughly every two weeks. When the full moon coincides with the moon’s approach within 370,000 km of Earth, it is referred to as a perigee full moon or “supermoon.”

He added that, compared to a full moon at apogee, the supermoon will appear about 13 per cent closer, 14 per cent larger, and 30 per cent brighter to the naked eye. The moon’s gravitational pull will also be around 30 per cent stronger, though this increase is minimal and has no significant impact on Earth.

Al Jarwan emphasized that this natural phenomenon does not cause any unusual or harmful effects, apart from the typical influence of the full moon on tides, such as slightly higher sea levels during midnight and midday high tides.

The  "Supermoon” is the first of three supermoons to appear this year. The phenomenon occurs when the Moon reaches its full phase while orbiting at its closest point to Earth, making it appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the faintest full moon of the year, according to NASA.

Derrick Pitts, Chief Astronomer at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, explained that the event “is not particularly rare,” as it occurs several times a year and sometimes coincides with other astronomical phenomena such as lunar eclipses.

The “supermoon” can be observed with the naked eye from anywhere in the world, provided the skies are clear. However, distinguishing it from a regular full moon may be difficult for those who haven’t observed the Moon in the days leading up to the event.