• The moon will appear 14 percent larger than normal during this year's 'supermoon'
  • The moon will be about 222,000 miles from Earth
Prepare to howl.

The biggest and brightest full moon of the year graces the sky today as our celestial neighbor swings closer to Earth than usual.

The supermoon will appear 14 percent larger and 30 per cent brighter than normal - the outcome of a cosmic quirk as the moon orbits within about 222,000 miles (357,000 kilometers) of our planet.
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© The Associated PressThe supermoon sets over the Statue of Liberty, N.Y.
Some viewers may think the shining orb looks more dazzling, but it's actually an optical illusion.

The glowing disc is simply larger on the horizon next to trees and buildings.

But don't worry if you missed it. The supermoon's effect should still linger until at least Tuesday.
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© The Associated PressA full moon rises behind the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C.

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© The Associated PressThe moon is seen in its waxing gibbous stage as it rises over Lower Manhattan, including One World Trade Center, center, seen from The Heights neighborhood of Jersey City, N.J.
The word supermoon was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, according to USA Today.

Nolle used the term to describe a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to Earth.
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© The Associated PressThe incredible moon sets by the exterior of the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss.
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© The Associated PressA statue of the Angel Moroni on top a Latter-day Saints temple is silhouetted against the rising moon in Kansas City, Mo.
While this supermoon, which rose in the east yesterday, is spectacular, an even larger one is expected on September 28, 2015.

And the largest supermoon until 2034 will roll in on November 14, 2016.
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© The Associated PressA full moon rises beside the Bank of America corporate headquarters in downtown Charlotte, N.C.
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© ReutersThe moon rises over the temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the seas
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© ReutersThe moon rises behind the Peter and Pawel Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia
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© 2012 MCTThis graphic using NASA data explains what causes a supermoon