Posted on 01/18/2014 9:48:34 AM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: This big, bright, beautiful Full Moon rose over Lick Observatory Wednesday night. Traditionally a full moon in January might be called the Wolf Moon. But this moon reached its full phase on January 16, 4:54 UT, within about 2 hours of apogee, the most distant point in its elliptical orbit around planet Earth. That also makes it the smallest full moon of 2014. Of course the difference in apparent size between the largest and smallest full moons is hard to see, because the difference in distance between lunar apogee and perigee, or closest point in the Moon's orbit, is only about 50,000 kilometers, while the Moon's average distance is around 385,000 kilometers. Though not by much, this apogee's full moon was also the smallest full moon of the last 1,000 years. It will keep that distinction until a slightly smaller full moon occurs close to apogee in 2154.
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[Credit & Copyright: Rick Baldridge]
That is one, beautiful photograph.
I saw that moon Wednesday evening.
And, yes, it was THAT gorgeous!
Is that when we experience the highest “Gee`s” b/c the Moon is farthest away? ;)
WOW!
Thank you so much!
Ah, that explains the bathroom scale the last few days.
Here is a very similar view posted in APOD from March of 2012; this one has a bit more illumination of the Observatory in the foreground ...
I hadn't seen it in APOD for 2014 yet, but this link goes to the NASA video depicting the lunar phases for this year, similar to the one posted for 2013.
We attended the full moon party on Beef Island in Tortola, BWI the other night. They have one every month. Bonfires, stilt dancers, a young woman acrobat performing suspended from a crane, and of course, food and drink.
Was it as fun as it sounds?!!!
Yes, thank you, it was- and a family oriented gathering. Everyone from youngsters to geezers, and even the drink-too-much contingent behaved pretty well. Of course, the party goes on 'til dawn, but we left before 11.
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