A fleeting chance to view a supermoon and potential shooting stars is threatened by widespread cloud cover across Germany this evening. Astronomers advise optimal viewing will be limited to a narrow window – roughly two hours after sunset, before the moon rises too high in the sky and its brightness overwhelms fainter celestial events.
The spectacle of a supermoon, sometimes appearing with a reddish shimmer, is a result of the moon’s non-circular orbit around earth. At its furthest point, the moon can be approximately 405,000 kilometers away, according to the German Aerospace Center. This full moon presents a chance to observe both the larger-than-usual lunar disc and, possibly, meteors from ongoing showers, but unfavorable weather conditions are significantly reducing visibility for many observers.
The German Weather Service forecasts predominantly cloudy skies, especially in the northeast towards the Elbe region. while a few breaks in the cloud cover are possible before the second half of the night, conditions are described as “pretty bad” for stargazers.
