JEDDAH: The Arab region will witness the completion of the Dhu Al-Hijjah moon on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
The moon on Dhu Al-Hijjah will be the third largest and closest full moon of the year, and it will be visible all night. Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, said that the moon will arrive at 12:05 p.m. Makkah time. This year, at a distance of 357,263 kilometers, it will be closest to Earth.
"The giant full moon will then rise from the southeastern horizon with sunset, and it will be noticed that its apparent size is large during its rising when it is near the horizon. This is just an optical illusion that occurs in the middle of each lunar month, after its rise in the sky returns to its usual size," Abu Zahra explained.
Abu Zahra continued: "The moon will reach the moment of fullness at 09:37 p.m. Makkah time, reaching half of its orbit around the Earth during the month nine hours and 38 minutes after arriving at the perigee. This synchronization will increase its size and brightness by 14%."
When the moon is at aphelion, it will be 30% larger than the smallest full moon.
In Arabic, the giant full moon is known as "Badr Al-Hadeed." This means that the moon is closest to the earth when the distance between the moon's center and the earth's center is less than 362,146 kilometers.
This time of month is ideal for viewing the moon's radioactive craters through binoculars or a small telescope.
The moon will rise about an hour later every day for the next few nights, and it will be visible only in the dawn and early morning sky after a few days.
