Tonight we returned home at 7 pm after visiting our son and his girlfriend. Before going indoors we looked to the east and saw a huge, blood-red moon beaming through trees just above the horizon. It was fantastic. Now, at 9 pm, the moon has climbed higher in the sky, and has diminished in scale, returning to radiant white - but it still seems much bigger and brighter than usual.
Checking on the Internet I read that on 19 March 'a full moon of rare size and beauty' will rise in the east at sunset. Apparently it's a super 'perigee' moon, the biggest in almost 20 years (the 'perigee' is the point nearest the earth's centre in the moon's orbit) - and it's at least 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a moon which occurs on its orbital 'apogee' (ie when the moon is furthest from the centre of the earth).
Go take a look!
6 comments:
I can't wait! It rises at 8:07pm here. I saw the almost full moon last night, and it was amazing.
That explains it! We have been staring at it transfixed for quite some time tonight.
Hi, Robert. It hasn't risen yet here in California and won't for a couple of hours. I'll feel it, but we won't see it here. We're in for some heavy rain and strong winds overnight.
Takes my breath away.
Yes, I took a photograph of it too Robert but it was rather cloudy here so it didn't come out as well as this one.
What a great quote to pair with the photo and your discussion of this planetary and filial-satellite dance.
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