CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida. – If you miss this week’s supermoon, it will be a while before you can catch the next one.

The next supermoon will be the fourth and final supermoon of the year.

It will appear larger and brighter than usual since it will be about 225,000 miles (361,867 kilometers) from Earth on Thursday.

It will not reach its full lunar phase until Friday.

The supermoon rises after the peak of the Taurid meteor shower and before the Leonids are at their most active.

RELATED: How big is a supermoon really?

Last month’s supermoon was closer than 2,800 miles away, making it the closest of the year. The series debuted in August.

In 2025, expect three supermoons starting in October.

What makes a moon so awesome?

More of a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase synchronizes with a particularly close wobble around Earth. This usually only happens three or four times a year and consecutively, given the Moon’s oval and ever-changing orbit.

A supermoon is obviously not bigger, but it can appear that way, although scientists say the difference may be barely noticeable.

How do supermoons compare?

This year we are offering a quartet of supermoons.

The one in August was 224,917 miles (361,970 kilometers). The September one was 222,131 miles (357,486 kilometers). A partial lunar eclipse also occurred that night, visible across much of the Americas, Africa, and Europe, as Earth’s shadow fell on the Moon, looking like a small bite.

The Super Moon rises over the Empire State Building in New York, United States, on August 1, 2023. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

October’s supermoon was the closest of the year, 222,055 miles (357,364 kilometers) from Earth. This month’s supermoon will come closest on Thursday with the full lunar phase the following day.

What do I gain from it?

Scientists emphasize that only the most careful observers can discern the subtle differences. It is easier to detect the change in brightness: a supermoon can be 30% brighter than average.

RELATED: Photos: Hunter’s Moon shines brightest Thursday night during the Supermoon Spectacular

As the United States and other countries ramp up lunar exploration with landers and eventually astronauts, the Moon appears brighter than ever.