What's that rising over the hill,
is it a Moonster?

Supermoon ... bigger and brighter

ORB blimey - doesn't the Moon look big?

So it should, because our only natural satellite will be closer to Earth tonight than any time in the last 19 YEARS.

And we should get a decent view because forecasters predict clear skies for the so-called "Supermoon".

The description denotes a new or full Moon that is at more than 90 per cent of its closest position to Earth.

The last time it was so near - called a lunar perigree - was on January 20, 1992.

At its furthest - a lunar apogee - the Moon can be almost 250,000 miles away.

At 6.10pm tonight it will be exactly 220,625 miles away from Britain - 625 miles closer than a month ago. It will appear 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than at its most distant.

The effect will be the most impressive when the Moon is close to the horizon, as a backdrop to hills and houses.

When it gets high in the sky it will be hard to detect any size difference because there will be nothing for the eye to compare it with.

Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society said: "Tonight the Moon will be unusually close and a little brighter, but the visual effect of it being closer to the Earth is unlikely to be noticed by the human eye."

Dr Massey - who rubbished recent claims that the Japanese earthquake and tsunami were connected to the Moon's movements - added: "I would tell people not to expect a wow factor, but it is nice to go and have a look."