Tonight's "Super-Moon"

Tonight the moon is the closest to earth that it has been in 18 years. Some experts are scratching their unkempt beards in wonder at the idea that the moon has a lot to do with natural occurrences that have been going on, since we know that the moon can affect the gravitational pull and the water level, and the oceans affect everything else. We all remember 1993, I assume, or at least those of us on the east coast of the US and the "Super-Storm" of the decade! They blamed that one on the moon as well. NASA, however, says it can't happen. Anyways, regardless of if it's true or not (I'm no rocket or moon scientist) I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the "Super-Moon" that likely won't be seen for another 18 years or so, unless Jesus comes back before then! And because my hubby asked me to get some pictures. :-) It's hard to tell the size due to the lack of perspective points, and unfortunately I didn't get any of the spectacular right-at-sunset-or-3pm photos (that would've been sweet!) but I will link below to other articles with amazing pictures of the Super Perigee Moon as well as explanations as to what and why it is.

Oh, wait, that's the light in my bathroom? No, and I know it just looks like a normal full moon now, but I said I'd take some pics so there they are. :-P

Article:

'Supermoon' Rises: Biggest Full Moon in 18 Years Occurs Saturday Night

by Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist

Date: 18 March 2011 Time: 08:11 AM ET

The dazzling full moon sets behind the Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert in this photo released June 7, 2010 by the European Southern Observatory. The moon appears larger than normal due to an optical illusion of perspective. Full Story. CREDIT: Gordon Gillet, ESO. View full size image

This story was updated at 3:32 p.m. ET.

Thanks to a fluke of orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than that it has been in more than 18 years, the biggest full moon of 2011 will occur on Saturday, leading some observers to dub it a "supermoon."

On Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in 2011:  a distance of 221,565 miles (356,575 kilometers) away. And only 50 minutes earlier, the moon will officially be full. [Photos: Our Changing Moon]
  

At its peak, the supermoon of March may appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons (when the moon is at its farthest from Earth), weather permitting. Yet to the casual observer, it may be hard to tell the difference.

The supermoon will not cause natural disasters, such as the Japan earthquake, a NASA scientist has stressed.

Spotting the supermoon
The moon has not been in a position to appear this large since March 1993.
In December 2008, there was a near-supermoon when the moon turned full four hours away from its perigee – the point in its orbit that is closest to Earth. But this month, the full moon and perigee are just under one hour apart, promising spectacular views, depending on local conditions. [Infographic: 'Supermoon' Full Moons Explained]

Although a full moon theoretically lasts just a moment, that moment is imperceptible to ordinary observation.
During the day or so before and after, most will speak of seeing the nearly full moon as "full," with the actual shaded area of the lunar surface being so narrow – and changing in apparent width so slowly – that it is hard for the naked eye to tell whether it's present, or which side it is.

Supermoon making waves
In addition, the near coincidence of Saturday’s full moon with perigee will result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides.

The highest tides will not, however, coincide with the perigee moon but will actually lag by up to a few days depending on the specific coastal location. For example, in Wilmington, N.C., the highest tide (5.3 feet) will be attained at 11:21 p.m. EDT on March 20.

In New York City, high water (5.9 feet) at The Battery comes at 10:49 p.m. EDT on March 21, while at Boston Harbor, a peak tide height of 12.2 feet comes at 1:31 a.m. EDT on March 22, almost 2 1/2 after perigee.

According to the Observer’s Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, residents of regions along the shores of the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada, the 10- to 20-foot (3- to 6-meter) swell in the vertical tidal range makes it obvious when the moon lies near perigee, regardless of clear skies or cloudy.
Any coastal storm at sea around this time will almost certainly aggravate coastal flooding problems.
Such an extreme tide is known as a perigean spring tide, the word spring being derived from the German springen – to "spring up," and is not, as is often mistaken, a reference to the spring season.
In contrast, later this year, on October 11, the full moon will closely coincide with apogee, its farthest point from the Earth.  In fact, on that night the moon will appear 12.3 percent smaller than it will appear this weekend.

Big full moon's appearance is deceiving
And while this weekend’s moon will be – as the Observer’s Handbook suggests – the "largest full moon of 2011," the variation of the moon's distance is not readily apparent to observers viewing the moon directly. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Moon]

Or is it?

When the perigee moon lies close to the horizon, it can appear absolutely enormous. That is when the famous “moon illusion” combines with reality to produce a truly stunning view.

For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, a low-hanging moon looks incredibly large when hovering near trees, buildings and other foreground objects. The fact that the moon will be much closer than usual this weekend will only serve to amplify this strange effect.

So … a perigee moon, either rising in the east at sunset or dropping down in the west at sunrise might seem to make the moon appear so close that it almost appears that you could touch it. You can check out this out for yourself by first noting the times for moonrise and moonset for your area by going to this website.

Happy mooning!

If you'd like to share your supermoon photos of the March 19 full moon, contact SPACE.com managing editor Tariq Malik: tmalik@space.com.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.

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.

Above: Perigee moons are as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons. [video] 

"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.

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.

See the ScienceCast of this story on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1yalg_Apdw

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

"Supermoon" rises Saturday night

Katie Cannon writes:Don't forget to check out the "supermoon" tonight
in your area if you have clear skies! Read more about it here.

Bill Ingalls / NASA via AP

In this photo provided by NASA, the full moon is seen as it rises near
the Lincoln Memorial, Saturday, March 19, in Washington. The full
moon tonight is called a "Super Perigee Moon" since it is at its closest
to Earth in 2011. The last full moon so big and close to Earth occurred
in March of 1993.

Denis Balibouse / Reuters

The moon is seen behind street lamps in Lausanne, March 19. Saturday
will see the rise of a full moon called a "Super Moon" when it arrives
at its closest point to the Earth in 2011, at a distance of 221,565 miles away.

Matt Stamey / The Gainesville Sun via AP

The moon rises behind Century Tower at the University of Florida
as seen from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Saturday, March 19, in
Gainesville, Fla. The full moon is at its closest point to the Earth
since March 1993.

Fred Thornhill / Reuters

Greg Kerr and Allie Mahoney skate under a full moon on Pigeon Lake
near Bobcayeon, Ontario, March 19. Saturday saw the rise of a full moon
called a "Super Moon" where it arrives at its closest point to the Earth in
2011, at a distance of 221,565 miles away.

 Do YOU have any "Super Moon" photos to share? I'd LOVE to see them,
especially since I (obviously) missed the "big deal" part of it all. *Darn lure
of the sewing machine!!* :-) Just post them and leave a comment with the
links and input! :-)