Full Moon

[cherryblossom]

I'm fascinated by the vastness and complexities of the universe and the cosmos, our galaxy and the solar system. Although I'm still struggling to understand even the basics (physics was never my best subject:rolleyes:), I can't help but be amazed by our night sky.

Tonight (Saturday) is a full moon. But not only is it a full moon, it will also be the biggest and brightest moon for nearly 20 years when it rises into the night sky from the east at sunset today. Scientists are calling it a super perigee moon.

Because the moon orbits the earth in an oval shape, the distance between the moon and the earth changes. The occurrence of a full moon when it's closest to Earth only happens once every 18 years or so. Perigee is the point where the moon makes its closest pass to Earth during its oval-shaped orbit. When it happens during a full moon, the moon seems up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than normal, according to a NASA release.

When the moon is closest to the Earth (tonight) it will be still be 221,000 miles away (according to NASA), but that is 31,000 miles closer than when the moon is its farthest point from the Earth.

Just to try to put that into some sort of perspective, the circumference of the earth is almost 25,000 miles, and the distance between London and Sydney is about 10,500 miles.

I will be looking out for a very large bright moon tonight, just after sunset (and hopefully before it clouds over!) - it should be a bright night!!

(Source)

 

[curiouser]

My husband was grilling and I came out to check on the food (we were eating late) and noticed how amazing the moon looked, I commented on it and that's when he told me about the full larger than normal moon. It was so beautiful just to stare at, it was definitely a "stop and smell the roses" moment.

 

[cherryblossom]

Hmmm - the sun has set, but there's no sign of the moon yet - perhaps it's too cloudy. I'll stay waiting and watching.:geek:

 

[amethist]

I have been out and looked at the moon tonight. To be honest it does not look any bigger than I would normally see it.

Maybe I left it too late to go look at the size, but it still is very bright.

 

[cherryblossom]

Yeah - sadly it's partially hidden by cloud here- but despite that it's still quite bright. Brain Cox is my latest TV hero (but I don't think he'll ever overtake Bruce Parry, who I love!!)

 

[The Albatross]

I'm hoping for blue sky's so I can see this... too early to tell if I will be able to see it here.

 

[intothelight]

It's cloudy here. :(

 

[justwannabeme]

Cloudy here too, or maybe fog. No it's clouds, but I do see a few stars peeking out.
Might hafta go check it out in a bit.
Sent my T a text, told him to be ready for it! :p

 

[Froggie]

Quebec city, it is beautiful, I thought it would be bigger than that, but just a bit bigger, nothing to go OHHHH MY GAWD over, but it was it's color that was really nice to contemplate

 

[Reclusive]

I'm looking forward to nightfall here - I love taking shots of the moon and have been anticipating this one for awhile now!

 

[No Folded Hands]

Don't be afraid of the extreme supermoon! WHOOOOOOOOO!!!! COOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!! :):):)

 

[Nicolette]

Good thing is that it doesn't have seem to have had such a great impact on the forum as prior full moons. ;):cool:

Well...not yet......... :whistling: