Super full moon to shine on Saturday

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

LOS ANGELES — There's a full moon Saturday, but it won't be just any old full moon. It'll be bigger and brighter. It will appear larger as it makes its closest approach to Earth in 18 years.

Scientists estimate the "supermoon" rising in the east at sunset will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter at its peak.

Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of its orbit, with one end closer to Earth. On Saturday, the moon will be 221,565 miles away — the closest to Earth since March 1993.

This celestial phenomenon should give people an excuse to take time out for the moon.

Usually, "most people are completely oblivious to its presence," said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

While Saturday's full moon will shine brighter than normal, it won't be as luminous as the near-supermoon of 2008 when it was higher in the sky, Chester said.

This type of full moon tends to bring a range of high and low tides, but experts say that's nothing to worry about. Nor is there any truth to the superstition that supermoons cause natural disasters.

"Nothing exciting is going to happen," Chester said.

[F6Dave]

The timing of the full moon is also unusual.  Since Easter is the first Sunday following the first full moon that falls on or after the equinox, the full moon falling on this day and date means Easter will be one day short of the latest possible date on which it can occur.  It is on April 24th this year.  The latest it can occur is the 25th, which last happened in 1943.

[thumper]

LOS ANGELES — There's a full moon Saturday, but it won't be just any old full moon. It'll be bigger and brighter. It will appear larger as it makes its closest approach to Earth in 18 years.

Scientists estimate the "supermoon" rising in the east at sunset will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter at its peak.

Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of its orbit, with one end closer to Earth. On Saturday, the moon will be 221,565 miles away — the closest to Earth since March 1993.

This celestial phenomenon should give people an excuse to take time out for the moon.

Usually, "most people are completely oblivious to its presence," said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

While Saturday's full moon will shine brighter than normal, it won't be as luminous as the near-supermoon of 2008 when it was higher in the sky, Chester said.

This type of full moon tends to bring a range of high and low tides, but experts say that's nothing to worry about. Nor is there any truth to the superstition that supermoons cause natural disasters.

"Nothing exciting is going to happen," Chester said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hWZM8UicVI

Check out the Big Brain on Brett

[Michael K (Az.)]

Reading that the moon will be 221,565 miles from earth, my first thoughts were, "Hey! With his miles, DDT could've ridden there and been about halfway home by now!!

[rrmdeuce]

Los Angles has rain in the forecast for tonight so I don't think we'll be seeing much of the Super-moon  And I'll be helping the Dad's club work the Morp (back wards for Prom) dance parking and security so I'll be outside most the night. 

[0leman]

Looks like the entire West Coast will not be seeing the moon because of this storm, rats.  Now if it will only quit snowing.

[JoJo]

Mostly clear for Ohio, so I'll be watching for it. I saw this earlier on NPR.  Last night's moon was pretty darn impressive, and I had the extra luck of having a really cool, thin cloud cut across the middle of the moon - pretty sweet! 

[Sludge]

It sure was pretty here in Western NC.