Supermoon likely to be a bust on P.E.I., says Jay Scotland

Sunday's cloudy forecast could put a damper on the view

Image | supermoon

Caption: Sunday's supermoon will be the only one for 2017, but another is scheduled to rise on Jan. 1. (Noah Silliman/unsplash.com)

Islanders hoping to get a glimpse of Sunday's supermoon could be disappointed, says CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.
Supermoons typically occur once or twice a year, and appear 7% larger and 16% brighter than usual. Sunday's will be the only supermoon in 2017.
Scotland said moonrise time for the Maritimes is around 5 p.m., which is the best time to view a supermoon.
"This is when the moon will look its largest as trees and buildings on the horizon add perspective," he said. "Once the moon has risen it doesn't appear all that much larger than normal in the vastness of the night sky."

Clouds in the forecast

However, Scotland said that Sunday's forecast for the region will likely prevent any sky gazers from being able to see the celestial show.

Image | Supermoon 2017 quick fact

Caption: (Jay Scotland/CBC)

"Unfortunately, the night sky over the Island doesn't look to be clear Sunday evening. The latest weather model guidance paints a pretty cloudy picture for Sunday night," he said.
But there is some hope. If Sunday's supermoon is a bust, there's another set to rise in the night sky on Jan. 1.