You may read stories in the media about Sunday evening’s or Monday morning’s full moon being a “supermoon.” And it is true that – by a slight amount – the full moon just before Monday’s sunrise will be the closest, brightest, and largest-looking full moon since 1948.
But the average person won’t notice much difference between this “supermoon” and an ordinary full moon. Clouds, smog, and human lights turn out to have a much greater effect on how bright a full moon looks to us. Still, if you look carefully under dark skies, you might convince yourself that the full Moon Sunday night and Monday before dawn looks a bit bigger and brighter than usual.
“Supermoon” is not an astronomical term. It was suggested by an astrologer and suddenly became popular in the media (who always favor superlatives) in 2011. We astronomers have been stuck with it ever since.
Why are some full moons bigger and brighter than others? It’s because the Moon’s orbit around us is not a perfect circle, but on oval shape called an ellipse. That means sometimes the Moon is a bit closer to us and sometimes it’s a bit further away. If a full moon happens just when the Moon is closer, we get a bigger and brighter looking full moon. The more precisely the closest moon and the full moon coincide, the better the super effect. Nov. 14th, the moon is full at 5:52 am Pacific time, while the moon is closest at 3:23 am. That’s a pretty close coincidence.
Does the “supermoon” have any significant effect on planet Earth. You may read predictions that there will be much greater tides or even earthquakes Monday morning. Don’t believe it! We have slightly stronger tides every time the Sun, Earth and Moon are lined up (which they are at every full moon). But the only time the supermoon will show itself in a significantly stronger effect on the shore is if we happen to be in the middle of a huge storm. And the Sun and Moon have no effect on earthquakes, which happen deep inside the Earth.
So if you happen to glance at the full Moon Sunday evening or Monday morning, enjoy the knowledge that the Moon is a bit closer to you. You may even howl at the Moon if the candidate of your choice didn’t get chosen in our recent elections. But don’t add the “supermoon” to your list of things worth worrying about.
(Photo of the Lick Observatory with the Moon behind it by Rick Baldridge of the Peninsula Astronomical Society. This was taken with a special lens to enlarge both the observatory and the Moon.)
I just lost my man about three months ago though he is back again full of love and passion with the help of great man Dr. IKHIDE. I NORAH PEDRO from Norway, have been into a relationship with daniel mark since I was 22 years old and I am 28 now. I so much love him but I could not show the love, it was very difficult for me to prove my realness to him because I thought to prove my love to him might make him look down on me and go after other girls. for over six years Daniel has given me all that I ask of him. I always threatened him with break up each time I want to see his level of love for me because I was told if I threaten him, he will propose to me and then will get married to him before I can show my love despite his complains of him not sure of my love I was responding to him with negative words. though I was suspecting he has another girl in his life, I did not border to ask him about that because I was so sure of his love despite my attitude. on the 8th of September a day to my birthday he came and gave me so many lovely gifts like never before claiming to wish me a happy birthday in advance with his words and behavior I expected him to propose to me on my birthday night then I will also tell him of my pregnant for him. I wait for him on my birthday he did not show up not even a call, I tried his number and it was not going through I refuse to go check on him because the anger in me six days later I went to his house and I found nothing not even a sign of my Daniel once live there. I was disappointed, frustrated, confused with so many thoughts on my mind like hanging my self if I did not see him again because I can not my parent about the pregnancy when the man responsible for it had disappeared. our religion's against that, my family will be disappointed in me, I have brought them shame. I look for daniel everywhere till I could chat with him on social network, he warned me never to disturb him again because he already had found another girl that he wants to live his life with, after a while, he blocked me from all access then I could not tell him of my pregnancy for him. so, I needed help from all corners of life, I decide to check to google my self or read some write up on-site on how to coup with my pain because I could not tell anybody about it not even my friends were aware of my pregnancy. I keep reading to cancel my self till I find how Dr. IKHIDE helps so many persons from different walks of life with their testimonies. then I decide to also contact him with dr.ikhide@gmail.com. Because I do not know much about contacting a spell caster, I was not sure he can bring my Dan back but I decide to give him a try though his requirement was another problem I meet with a friend for help because I could not the items that he needed I have to plead with Dr. IKHIDE to help me get the items because really need my man back to take away my shame. just two days after I send him the requirement Daniel calls me, plead for forgiveness. just yesterday he propose to me and I am so happy. you can also contact him with dr.ikhide@gmail.com
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