ROANOKE, Va. – Not only will we have welcomed the vernal equinox earlier Wednesday evening, but space will be putting on another treat with the third and final supermoon of 2019.
The supermoon, called this because the moon is at its closest point to Earth, will shine about 30 percent brighter than the typical full moon. Anytime a full moon is in perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit, you get a supermoon. That is how you can have multiple in a year.
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WHEN TO SEE IT
We will be battling increasing clouds Wednesday evening, but if we are lucky we may just be able to see it. Southside would have the best chance as the clouds will increase later.
The moon rises at 9:43 p.m. Wednesday. It will still appear big and bright Thursday evening if skies can clear quick enough.
VERNAL EQUINOX
The spring or vernal equinox marks the time when the sun's rays are directly over the equator, giving equal day and night to that part of the world.
For southwest Virginia, the closest point to equal day and night happened on March 17. The sun will continue to get higher in the sky until the summer solstice in June, the first day of summer. There will be nearly 14 hours and 44 minutes of daylight on the longest day of the year, June 21.
Daylight will continue to increase to a tune of two minutes a day. The current sunset is now 7:30 p.m. Our latest sunset occurs at 8:44 p.m. in early July.