Australians are set to be dazzled by the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year as it lights up skies across the country.

A supermoon happens when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit that brings it closest to Earth — making it appear up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than usual.

Known as the Beaver Moon, the glowing spectacle will reach its closest point to Earth on Wednesday night, sitting just about 356,000km away, according to NASA.

It is named for the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when beavers start building their dams in preparation for winter.

When and where to look?

The Beaver Moon will reach its fullest about 12.20am AEDT on Thursday, but stargazers don’t need to worry too much about timing.

Observational astronomer Professor Micha

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