Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
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Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Supermoon alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Sat.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/01/supermoon-alert-biggest-full-moon-2012/
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/01/supermoon-alert-biggest-full-moon-2012/
Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend.
The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5) at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year's biggest.
The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon.
And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com's skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular.
This month's full moon is due to be about 16 percent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon's farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon.
Though the unusual appearance of this month's full moon may be surprising to some, there's no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn't enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say.
However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao said.
The last supermoon occurred in March 2011.
To view this weekend's supermoon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is.
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Good nights for camping out. Love camping in the woods with a full, bright moon, and away from city lights. Everything is bathed in a cool, bluish glow. And if the forest canopy isn't too thick, you can actually take a moon light stroll.
WxFreak- Founding Member
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
ill be wearing my wolf t-shirt
Reb- Admin
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
I'm surprised this thread didn't go horribly awry.
WxFreak- Founding Member
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
She's firin off warnin shots tonight. Very cool moon over east TN right now.
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Yes, VERY big and bright. Actually, it is noticeably larger than a "normal" full moon.
WxFreak- Founding Member
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
I'm out here with a tripod trying to get some decent shots of this awesome moon. Pretty impressive site!
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
The neighborhood dogs are already at it here
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
If I can just get my neighbors to turn off their farking floodlights I might be able to enjoy the moon without intense light pollution....
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
You know what's arguably cooler looking than this moon? A big gnarly cloud moving in front of it with light shooting out on all sides, like it is right now in my sky!
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Probably the most detailed shot I got tonight:
Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Its just beautiful!!
Vanster67- Admin
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
AWESOME shot of the megamoon, Stove!!
WxFreak- Founding Member
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Stovepipe wrote:You know what's arguably cooler looking than this moon? A big gnarly cloud moving in front of it with light shooting out on all sides, like it is right now in my sky!
Yeah, nothin' beats good moonshine.
WxFreak- Founding Member
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Re: Supermoon Alert: Biggest full moon of 2012 due Saturday
Stovepipe wrote:If I can just get my neighbors to turn off their farking floodlights I might be able to enjoy the moon without intense light pollution....
Really is a First World Problem.
One advantage of living in the boonies like me. There are a few street lights around, but not nearly as much as K-Town.
WxFreak- Founding Member
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