CHICAGO -- Clear skies should allow Chicago residents to see the year's brightest supermoon Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA. It can look up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth.

Thursday's supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year, approximately 222,056 miles from Earth, according to AstroPixels.

The moon will begin rising after 6 p.m. Thursday and reach its highest position around midnight, with "99 percent illumination," said National Weather Service meteorologist Ricky Castro.

Known as the "Hunter's Moon," this supermoon follows the Harvest Moon, the full moon that signals the end of the growing season. The name Hunter's Moon refers to the hunting season that follows the fall harvest.

Castro recommends viewing the moon along the lakefront for the most unobstructed view and minimal light pollution.

This year's Harvest Moon, in mid-September, also coincided with a lunar eclipse.