November’s golden supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of the year

Tips for viewing and photographing the supermoon

Viewing this supermoon doesn’t take special equipment, but these tips can help you get the most out of the experience. While the moon officially reaches full phase on November 5 at 13:19 UTC, the most magical time to view it is in the first hour just after the moon climbs above the eastern horizon. 

(Here’s how to take stellar photographs of the night sky.)

At that low angle, the “moon illusion” makes it appear larger than it truly is —an optical quirk that occurs when our brains compare the moon with nearby landmarks such as trees or buildings. Its low position also gives it a golden-orange hue, caused by Earth’s atmosphere scattering shorter blue wavelengths and letting warmer tones dominate.

For photographers, moonrise offers a prime opportunity to capture dramatic lunar portraits, framed by earthly landscapes lit by it. Even with just a smartphone, it’s worth experimenting with silhouettes of trees, rooftops, or people in the foreground, all of which add scale and drama to your shots.

Bonus stargazing 

Throughout the night, the moon will appear within the bright zodiacal constellation Taurus, the bull. To the naked eye, its glow can drown out nearby stars—but if you cover the moon with your thumb or use binoculars, look for the vivid orange star Aldebaran, a red giant about 65 light-years away that marks the bull’s fiery eye.