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Supermoon Graces New York City Skyline

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- If the moon appears to be unusually large Saturday night, that's because it is.

Not only is the Tri-State area in full view of a full moon, it's also a "supermoon."

That's the nickname for full moons that happen when our celestial neighbor is relatively close to Earth.

The distance between the moon and the Earth varies because the moon follows an elliptical orbit. When it's close and full, it appears bigger and brighter than normal, although in fact the difference can be hard to detect.

If you see Saturday's moon close to the horizon it may seem huge, but that's just an illusion caused by its position in the sky.

Two other full moons this summer will be supermoons. One on Aug. 10 and another on Sept. 9.

It's not all that unusual to have a supermoon. There were three in a row last year.

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