HORSEHEADS, N.Y, (WENY)-- The Super Moon is expected to greet the night sky tonight for the second time this month. While it makes for a great show in the Twin Tiers, the supermoon can impact tides, and even storm surge from hurricanes like Idalia.

''Tides depend on gravitational attraction between the earth and the moon. The closer they are, the stronger the force,'' said Professor Lwiza Kamazima from the Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Department at Stony Brook University. 

''The supermoon occurs when the moon's orbit is closest to the earth. The distance from the earth to the moon is very close,'' said Professor Kamazima.

Professor Kamazima noted that combined effect of Hurricane Idalia pushing water up the coast, combined with the close proximity of the full moon pulling water up the coast, causes a bigger storm surge. He added a similar situation happened with Super Storm Sandy back in 2012. 

The higher than normal tides from the super moon can sometimes be referred to as the king tides. King tides happen one to two times a year, and can trigger coastal flooding in communities along the coast. 

The next supermoon is coming up in September 18th of 2024.