BANGKOK — Moon and river will come together for an exceptional Loy Krathong this year.
Monday’s full moon will not only be the brightest and biggest of the year but its closest orbital approach to the Earth in 68 years, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand.
In fact it will be the closest approach since 1948 and won’t be repeated until 2034, according to NASA.
Monday’s event, in which the full moon coincides with the closest approach, is known as a supermoon.
A mere 356,511 kilometers from the earth at its closest approach, the moon will look 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, the institute said. It will be visible in the eastern sky from sunset at about 6pm onward.
The institute will provide telescopes for public use at their regional observatories in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chachoengsao provinces, as well as Chiang Mai’s CentralFestival shopping mall.
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