Posted on 12/12/2008 12:38:59 PM PST by NormsRevenge
A full moon is set to occur closer to the Earth on Friday evening than it has done for the past 15 years.
The Moon's elliptical orbit means its distance from the Earth is not constant.
It will be a little over 350,000km away as it passes over the northern hemisphere, which is about 30,000km closer than usual.
If the sky is clear it will appear brighter and larger than usual, say astronomers.
Closest path
Friday's full moon could appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons this year, Nasa said.
The Moon's orbit is elliptical, meaning it does not follow a circular but rather an oval path.
It is currently approaching the point where this oval orbit is nearest to the Earth.
"It's only every few years that a full moon happens to coincide with the part of the Moon's orbit when its closest to the Earth," said Marek Kukula, an astronomer at the UK's Royal Observatory.
"What people will see is a full moon that's really bright and a bit bigger than what they're used to."
It will appear largest as it rises and sets, but this is a psychological illusion, Dr Kukula said.
"When it's close to the horizon, our brain interprets it as being bigger than it actually is, this is called the moon illusion," he said.
"The size may be striking when it's near the horizon," said Robert Massey of the UK Royal Astronomical Society.
However, he cautioned against expecting too much.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I have my digital camera at the ready...
Explore Moon Mountains from Your Backyard
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/081205-ns-moon-watching.html
15 years since we’ve been this close with a full moon, cool.. hope it doesn’t cloud up until late .. binocs and small telescopes are in order.
Will we be able to see Cindy Sheehan without binoculars?
There may be some fireworks, not sure about Cindy tho. ;-)
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Where can I see the full moon and meteor shower?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5332018.ece
a snip
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What time is it best to watch?
The moon will be closest to the earth and highest in the sky at 9.48pm tonight. The meteor shower - where what look like shooting stars fly across the sky - will be best after midnight but you will see some before then.
I thought it appeared larger than usual this morning when I saw it on my way to work. Now I know why.
and that wacky Jim Berkland has opened his “earthuake window” for California because off the moon....
It was very bright last night. I was on the road before daylight (about 4am) and I believe I could have driven without headlights. The sky was exceptionally clear, a cold front having just passed.
"Please, everyone be careful. This is significant data that indicates bridge jumpers, suicides, hostage situations, domestic violence, mall shootings, and workplace violence do increase during these times of spring tides, full moons, and the close approach of the moon to the earth. Tidal forces are strong during the next week. Humans are animals, and all animals are influenced by the tides."
Curses! It Is Almost December 12th!, CopyCat Effect Blog
We saw it this morning before sunup. Very bright and yellow.
I caught the window part the other night, I think, we had a couple little ones a few days ago.. and hey, lunar tide shifting and all, and being what it is, the earth is a pliable object in an occasionally dynamic environment.. ya never know.
I saw it last night and thought of Larry Niven’s story “Inconstant Moon”.
That’s only a quarter-moon.
Payday, Friday night, and a full moon.
I shudder to think of what will happen tonight....
Lunar hypothesis In a 1999 Journal of Affective Disorders article, a hypothesis was suggested indicating that the phase of the moon may in the past have had an effect on bipolar patients by providing light during nights which would otherwise have been dark, and affecting susceptible patients through the well-known route of sleep deprivation.[citation needed] With the introduction of electric light, this effect would have gone away, as light would be available every night, explaining the negative results of modern studies. They suggest ways in which this hypothesis might be tested.
Stay close to home, crime will rise. Especially violent crime.
I enjoy reading the post, then replying without reading other replies. Then, I like to read the other posts and see how many I had an answer or response in common with.
We matched. LOL
Thanks for posting.
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