The last supermoon of 2025 graces the skies of Saudi Arabia tonight: Date and observation details
All eyes will be on the skies of Saudi Arabia and the Arab world this evening, Thursday, December 4, to witness a remarkable astronomical event: the third and final supermoon of 2025. The head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, Engineer Majid Abu Zahra, confirmed that this phenomenon presents an ideal opportunity for astronomy and photography enthusiasts to capture the full moon in its most magnificent form.
What is a supermoon and why does it happen?
The “supermoon” phenomenon is gaining widespread global attention. The term was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 and is now widely used in popular astronomy to describe the full moon when it coincides with its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit (perigee). Historically, these phenomena have been associated in folklore with harvest seasons and the changing of the seasons, as ancient peoples relied on the moon's extra brightness to extend working hours into the night.
Details of tonight's astronomical scene
According to astronomical data, the moon will appear 7% to 8% larger and 15% to 16% brighter than usual tonight compared to a typical full moon. It will begin rising shortly after sunset from the eastern horizon and may appear pink or warm orange in its first moments of rising.
This coloration is due to atmospheric physics, where particles suspended in the air scatter short wavelengths of light (such as blue), while allowing long wavelengths (such as red and orange) to reach the observer's eye. This is the same phenomenon that gives the sun its red color at sunset.
The phenomenon's impact on land and tides
Tonight, the moon will be very close to Earth, at a distance of approximately 357,219 kilometers. Scientifically, this proximity enhances the phenomenon of tides, known as "peripheral high tides," where water levels rise significantly above normal. This is a natural effect and nothing to worry about. Experts, including engineer Abu Zahra, emphasize that rumors linking supermoons to natural disasters such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions are unfounded. They confirm that the moon's influence is limited to tidal gravitational pull and does not affect the planet's internal energy.
The ideal timing for monitoring and photography
The moon will reach its full phase (full moon) at 2:14 AM Mecca time on Friday, December 5th, when it will be at a 180-degree angle to the sun. This timing is ideal for using binoculars and small telescopes to observe the sunlit craters on the lunar surface, most notably Tycho, whose sunlit crater illuminates thousands of kilometers of land, revealing the lunar topography clearly due to the perpendicular rays of the sun's rays.
Astronomers wishing to document the event are advised to use digital cameras mounted on tripods to ensure image stability, or smartphones equipped with zoom lenses. Over the coming days, the moon will gradually rise later, becoming visible during the pre-dawn and early morning hours, reaching its last quarter phase in about a week.
