At 1 am on May 6, the full moon will be at 3,56,954 km from the centre of the earth. This will be the closest full moon to earth since January 1912. The moon will appear larger in the sky than at any time. This event is also referred to as ‘Supermoon’.

Early Sunday will see the moon’s closest encounter with earth since March 19, 2011, when the moon was a scant 380 kilometers closer to earth. The next time a similar occurrence will take place is not until August 10, 2014. Astronomers are estimating that the supermoon will be around 14 per cent brighter and 30 per cent bigger than the average full moon.

Previous supermoons were sighted in 1955, 1974, 1992, 2005 and 2011, all of which had their share of extreme weather and natural disasters. From extreme coastal tides to severe storms, powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the entire natural world surges under the sway of the supermoon alignment.