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2017 Supermoon seen from space, Washington, D.C., and Japan. Time

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The New Year is set for a bright beginning with the first supermoon of 2018 falling on Jan. 1. 

The first full moon of the year is a supermoon, according to NASA. A supermoon appears bigger and brighter than a full moon. According to NASA, what we call a supermoon is what astronomers would call a perigean full moon: a full moon occurring near or at the time when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit around Earth. 

A supermoon can appear as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than when a full moon is at its farthest distance from Earth, NASA said.

The astronomical term for a supermoon is "perigee syzygy." (Syzygy is when the sun, moon and Earth are all aligned in a straight line.)

If you aren't feeling up to moongazing after New Year's Eve, you'll have a second chance to catch a supermoon at the end of January. 

Supermoon 2017: Photos capture celestial wonder
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A full moon, referred to as a supermoon, rises over
A full moon, referred to as a supermoon, rises over the University of Notre Dame's main building Dec. 3, 2017, in South Bend, Ind.  Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune via AP
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An airplane crosses in front of the moon, a so-called
An airplane crosses in front of the supermoon in Avondale Estates, Georgia, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Erik S. Lesser, EPA-EFE
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A supermoon rises in front of a replica of the Statue
A supermoon rises in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty sitting atop the Liberty Building in Downtown Buffalo, N.Y., on Dec. 3, 2017. December's full moon appears bigger and brighter in the sky as it sits closer than average to Earth. Sunday's moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. The next two will occur on Jan. 1, 2018, and Jan. 31.  Julio Cortez, AP
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The Moon is seen as is rises, in Washington, DC on
The Moon is seen as is rises, in Washington, DC on Dec. 3, 2017.   Bill Ingalls, NASA via EPA-EFE
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The moon, a so-called supermoon, rises behind a MARTA
The supermoon rises behind a MARTA commuter train in Avondale Estates, Georgia, on Dec. 3, 2017.   Erik S. Lesser, EPA-EFE
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The supermoon of 2017 rises behind the U.S. Capitol.
The supermoon of 2017 rises behind the U.S. Capitol.  Jasper Colt, USA TODAY
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An aircraft taking off from Ronald Reagan National
An aircraft taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport passes in front of the moon as it rises in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 3, 2017. A supermoon occurs when the moon's orbit is closest (perigee) to earth at the same time it is full.   Bill Ingalls, NASA, via EPA-EFE
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The Supermoon rises above Whitby Abbey in Whitby, England
The supermoon rises above Whitby Abbey in Whitby, England, on Dec. 3, 2017. The Dec. 3 full moon will be the first of three consecutive supermoons. The two will occur on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2018.  Danny Lawson, PA, via AP
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The moon rises behind the Uppatasanti Pagoda seen in
The moon rises behind the Uppatasanti Pagoda seen in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Dec. 3, 2017. The Dec. 3 full moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. The other two will occur on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2018.  Aung Shine Oo, AP
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The supermoon is seen in the sky while a farmer walks
The supermoon is seen in the sky while a farmer walks with cows in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Dec. 3, 2017.   Aung Shine Oo, AP
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The super moon rises above the lighthouse of San Maurizio
The supermoon rises above the lighthouse of San Maurizio in Brunate, near Como, Italy on Dec. 3, 2017.  Matteo Bazzi, EPA-EFE
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A multiple exposure image shows a 'Supermoon' near
A multiple exposure image shows a supermoon near the Buddha statue in Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 3, 2017.   Nyein Chan Naing, EPA-EFE
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The full moon is seen on the sky over Al-Ameen Mosque
The full moon is seen on the sky over Al-Ameen Mosque and St. Gregory church in Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Nabil Mounzer, EPA-EFE
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A supermoon rises over the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
A supermoon rises over the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on Dec. 3, 2017.  Giuseppe Cacace, AFP/Getty Images
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The Supermoon is seen in Jakarta, Indonesia on Dec.
The supermoon is seen in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Adi Weda, EPA-EFE
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The supermoon is seen in Larnaca, Cyprus on Dec. 3,
The supermoon is seen in Larnaca, Cyprus, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Katia Christodoulou, EPA-EFE
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Visitors enjoy viewing the so-called 'Supermoon' from
Visitors enjoy viewing the supermoon from a gondola of a Ferris wheel at an amusement park in Tokyo on Dec. 3, 2017.  Kimimasa Mayama, EPA-EFE
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The supermoon rises over a highway near Yangon on Dec.
The supermoon rises over a highway near Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Ye Aung Thu, AFP/Getty Images
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A Supermoon rises over the Tokyo Bay, in Tokyo, Japan
A supermoon rises over the Tokyo Bay, in Tokyo on Dec. 3, 2017.   Kimimasa Mayama, EPA-EFE
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The supermoon rises over a highway near Yangon, Myanmar
The supermoon rises over a highway near Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 3, 2017.  Ye Aung Thu, AFP/Getty Images
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    In 2018, there will be one other supermoon on January 31, 2018. According to NASA, the Jan. 31 supermoon will feature a total lunar eclipse.

    “The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset. Folks in the Eastern United States, where the eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to see it,”  Noah Petro, a research scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. 

    More: Celebrate New Year's Eve at these destinations and hotels

    More: Neil deGrasse Tyson destroys the supermoon on Twitter

    Contributing: Doyle Rice 

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