Super Full Moon

March 16, 2011: Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.

"The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," says Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. "I'd say it's worth a look."

Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee): diagram. Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moon's orbit.

 

 

"The full Moon of March 19th occurs less than one hour away from perigee--a near-perfect coincidence1 that happens only 18 years or so," adds Chester.

A perigee full Moon brings with it extra-high "perigean tides," but this is nothing to worry about, according to NOAA. In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only a few centimeters (an inch or so) higher than usual. Local geography can amplify the effect to about 15 centimeters (six inches)--not exactly a great flood.

Super Full Moon (moon illusion, 200px)
The Moon looks extra-big when it is beaming through foreground objects--a.k.a. "the Moon illusion."

Indeed, contrary to some reports circulating the Internet, perigee Moons do not trigger natural disasters. The "super moon" of March 1983, for instance, passed without incident. And an almost-super Moon in Dec. 2008 also proved harmless.

Okay, the Moon is 14% bigger than usual, but can you really tell the difference? It's tricky. There are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters. Hanging high overhead with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, one full Moon can seem much like any other.

The best time to look is when the Moon is near the horizon. That is when illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects. On March 19th, why not let the "Moon illusion" amplify a full Moon that's extra-big to begin with? The swollen orb rising in the east at sunset may seem so nearby, you can almost reach out and touch it.

Don't bother. Even a super perigee Moon is still 356,577 km away. That is, it turns out, a distance of rare beauty.


Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/

 

 

You need to be a member of Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community to add comments!

Join Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • lol - nothing more then clouds and dense fog here :p
  • Few hours to go.

    I'll try to make pictures.

    Right now at this moment I did not notice any change in the size of the moon towards my perceptions.

This reply was deleted.

Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives

Latest Activity

Drekx Omega commented on Drekx Omega's blog post The Fate of the Nazi Breakaway Civilisation, After 1945
""When researchers adjusted for doppler shift and examined the timing of Voyager 1's transmissions, they discovered a delay that did not match the expected trajectory. A delay that should not have been possible, unless time itself had been…"
8 hours ago
Shadar posted a blog post
Dear all,Today, we would like to tell you a little more about ourselves and our cultural social structures.How do Pleiadians and Sirians differ?The Sirians who already live in 6D and higher tend to have a group consciousness. This explains their…
11 hours ago
Edward left a comment on Comment Wall
12 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"If maya is an obsessive glamour, based upon physicality, then wokeness ticks all the boxes for that definition...Such idealists obsess about skin colour and "white privilege," more than any sane person would...Rather than judging a person by…"
12 hours ago
Drekx Omega commented on Drekx Omega's blog post Wokeness is a “Maya;” an Illusion Focussed upon Physicality
"If maya is an obsessive glamour, based upon physicality, then wokeness ticks all the boxes for that definition...Such idealists obsess about skin colour and "white privilege," more than any sane person would...Rather than judging a person by…"
12 hours ago
rev.joshua skirvin posted a blog post
 1.) There have been 96 earthquakes around the world in the past 24 hours, many of which are in the strong “4s” and “5s” of magnitude, and when quakes occur in the ranges of “6.0” and above, they are considered quite powerful. A “6.7” magnitude…
14 hours ago
rev.joshua skirvin posted a blog post
 Loving unconditionally is the true path to the fifth dimension.The fifth dimension is not a physical place, but an expanded state of consciousness reached through the elevation of the heart. It is a frequency of love, neutrality, and unity.…
15 hours ago
Drekx Omega commented on Drekx Omega's blog post One Rebel Star Should Fall From The EU Flag's Circular Constellation and Rise Anew With Greater and Brighter Light
"Pushing unwanted and totally rejected policies on the British public, will only cause trust in the state to dwindle...About time British politicians, civil servants and corporate chiefs, learned about the LAW OF CAUSE & EFFECT...

A REFORM is needed…"
15 hours ago
More…