Clear skies set to reveal tonight's 'super moon' in all its glory as satellite edges closest to Earth for 18 years

 

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:48 PM on 19th March 2011

 

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Clear skies are expected to reveal a 'super moon' phenomenon today as the moon reaches its closest point to the Earth for almost two decades.

 

Star gazers will be hoping to see a bigger and brighter moon than normal as it reaches the closest point to the Earth, referred to as a lunar perigee, since 1992.

 

But experts warn people will need to look very closely to spot the 0.3 per cent difference.

 

A 'super moon' refers to a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is 90 per cent or over its closest position to Earth.

 

It is the first time since January 19, 1992 that the moon has come into such close proximity to the Earth.

 

Sandhill cranes fly in front a 95 per cent full moon, near Alda, Nebraska last night. A "super moon" refers to a new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is 90 per cent or over its closest position to Earth. The moon's orbit is in it's closest position to Earth in 18 years

 

Robert Massey, deputy executive secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, said the moon would make a more spectacular appearance than normal.

 

'The moon will be unusually close and a little brighter but the visual effects of it being closer to the Earth are unlikely to be noticed by the human eye,' he said.

 

'I would tell people to not expect a wow factor, but it's nice to go and look.'

 

Mr Massey added that it will be difficult for those who are not regular star gazers to see a difference in the moon's size, with it being just 0.3 per cent bigger than this time last month.

 

The moon will be 220,625 miles away from London at 18.10 today, 625 miles closer than it was a month before on February 18.

When the moon is at its furthest distance from the Earth, referred to as an apogee, it can be as far away from Earth as 250,000 miles.

 

 

The moon rises as people cross a street in Hoboken, New Jersey, last night. Tonight's moon will see the rise of a full moon called a "Super Moon" when it is at a distance of 221,565 miles away

 

Dr Carolin Crawford, an astronomer at Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy, said that the difference in the moon's size would be 'fractional'.

 

'Your average person in the street, and even myself as an astronomer, will not see anything different,' she said.

 

'It's a normal full moon but it's called a super moon as it coincides with the Moon being closer to the Earth in its orbit.

 

'The crucial thing is that this is happening at the same time as the Sun, Moon and Earth are all in line.'

 

MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, has predicted the sky should be clear, allowing hopeful viewers to decide for themselves if the lunar perigee is indeed a "super moon".

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1367846/Super-moon-Clear-skies-set-reveal-tonights-lunar-perigee-glory.html#ixzz1H4mZrdKa

Looks as though there is a dog wearing sunglasses on the moon.

It’s already dawn over here, I’ve been looking at the moon for every hour and it looked just the same to me. :| Well, the ‘supermoon’ is only less than 1% bigger than the ‘normal moon’. But it’s extraordinarily bright outside, and I can see moon halo!

Looked bigger to me.

Extraordinarily bigger or just bigger?

Considerably bigger, but not extraordinarily.

It looks really big through my window and kinda like a dog wearing sunglasses, I thought the shadows on the moon looked more like a tree :wacko:

The moon rises as people cross a street in Hoboken, New Jersey, last night. Tonight's moon will see the rise of a full moon called a "Super Moon" when it is at a distance of 221,565 miles away

 

 

Omg that's where my cousin lives. :wacky: :heart:

But experts warn people will need to look very closely to spot the 0.3 per cent difference.

 

:wreck:

I saw it rising and it looked freaking awesome! I must have been lucky that I saw it when I saw it and not later, because right now up in the dark sky it looks rather boring

 

btw....it neither looked like a bird nor like a plane

It wasn't too amazing actually. . . it didn't look any bigger, just extremely brighter. And whiter.

Omg that's where my cousin lives. :wacky: :heart:

 

On the moon?:stunned:

Yet another secret the world's governments have been keeping from us.................... :rolleyes:

On the moon?:stunned:

Yet another secret the world's governments have been keeping from us.................... :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, she moved there after they blew up Alderon:rolleyes:.

There are people that believe that the moon causes earthquakes and that the Super Moon will cause even more earthquakes.

 

These people are what I call idiots - so don't freak out if you hear someone say this, because it's not true!

Well it happened, and it didn't.

Nor did it happen 18 years ago when the same thing happened.

On the moon?:stunned:

Yet another secret the world's governments have been keeping from us.................... :rolleyes:

 

In Hoboken, NJ

derp.

Well it happened, and it didn't.

Nor did it happen 18 years ago when the same thing happened.

 

Is that directed at me?

Yeah, she moved there after they blew up Alderon:rolleyes:.

 

Who did? Was it that pesky Darth Vader and his Death Star again?:shocked2:

 

In Hoboken, NJ

derp.

 

I preferred the other answer.:rolleyes:

I saw it. Someone actually messaged me on facebook to tell me 'go look at the moon'.

 

It did look considerably bigger. More than .3%.

That's more like 30%

I couldn't see it through clouds or something. :shifty:

Is that directed at me?[/color]

 

I was on your side.

Doesn't matter.

Last time I agree with you.

It was a lot bigger than this

 

Yes I'm sad enough to take a picture of the moon when I got home from work last night at 12-30