Supermoon TONIGHT!

[ubiquitous]

Tonights moon should look huge, the biggest full moon seen from the Earth
since 1993. Time to wrap up warm and get the telescope out methinks. Pray
for a clear dry night and behold a beautiful sight. :)



December 12, 2008

Look up tonight for a spectacular treat in the sky

Biggest full moon for years enhanced by shooting stars.



If the full moon tonight looks unusually large, it is not your imagination – it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years.

Each month the Moon makes a full orbit around the Earth in a slightly oval-shaped path, and tonight it will swing by the Earth at its closest distance, or perigee. It will pass by 356,613km (221,595 miles) away, which is about 28,000km closer than average.

The unusual feature of tonight is that the perigee also coincides with a full moon, which will make it appear 14 per cent bigger and some 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year – so long as the clouds hold off from blocking the view.

The next closest encounter with a full moon this large will not be until November 14, 2016.

In addition to this lunar flypast, much of Britain may also be treated to a strange phenomenon known as the moon illusion. As the Moon rises in the late afternoon, it will appear even larger as it lies close to the horizon. Psychologists have tried to explain this as a trick of the eye, as the landscape on the horizon appears to make the Moon loom much larger, an effect that disappears as the Moon rises above the horizon, although viewing it through a tube, such as a toilet roll, can make it look large again.

With the Moon approaching so close to the Earth, its gravity will pull a slightly higher tide than normal for a full moon. This so-called perigeal tide adds about 0.5m (1.6ft) to the high-water mark, and with freshening southwesterly winds forecast, this may cause some flooding, especially along parts of the South West coast.

Tonight’s full moon is also notable for rising to its greatest height in the night sky for the entire year, lying almost overhead at midnight. This is because we are approaching the winter solstice, on December 21, and thanks to the tilt of the Earth the Moon appears at its highest, as the Sun is at its lowest.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article5327206.ece

[91181]

Cool, i will have my telescope at the ready..:)

[stinky catz]

I can't wait, I was amazed at how bright it was last night :eek::)

[pri01]

It is far too cloudy here at the moment but that could change come night fall. I have a question though, why in the middle of the day when the sun is shinning, can I also see the moon? Surely the moon should be looking out over those on the other side of the world who presumably are in darkness?

[lookfar]

I can't wait, I was amazed at how bright it was last night :eek::)

Yeah me too stinky catz, it was gorgeous here last night - very clear indeed (but bloody freezing too!).

We've had rain here today but it's starting to brighten a bit now - hopefully have a good view tonight & hope you do too!!:)

[stinky catz]

Its supposed to snow in the Northwestern US... So I hope that doesn't get in the way. But its been a long.. time since there has been a lot of snow here. So I'm content. :p:)

[ubiquitous]

It is far too cloudy here at the moment but that could change come night fall. I have a question though, why in the middle of the day when the sun is shinning, can I also see the moon? Surely the moon should be looking out over those on the other side of the world who presumably are in darkness?

You can see the moon during the day for the same reason which gives the moon it's phases.
While the earth rotates from day to night and back again in 24 hours, the moon takes 27 days to completely orbit the earth. Even though the moon has one of the lowest reflectivities of any body in the solar system, there are only two days when the moon is invisible or nearly so during the day, when the moon is full and when it is new.
(The new moon has no reflected light visible from earth and the full moon is opposite the sun with the earth in the middle (If you can see the sun, you can't see the moon.))
In order to beter understand, get a basketball, a softball and a lamp. As you move the softball moon around the basketball earth in relation to the lamp sun, you'll be able to see all the phases and also that the moon is visible during the relative day.:)

[pali_gap]

too bad its cloudy over here:(

[middleway00]

too bad its cloudy over here:(

same here.:(

[humito]

bloody uk weather...........every time there is a celestial event of note, the sky turns to concrete grey and obscures everything..:mad: part of the conspiracy lol

[element]

Bring it on moon! :cool: :D

[clozaril]

anyone feeling more unsusual than normal ?

[bobo_pe]

Cheer for the heads up!

[pri01]

You can see the moon during the day for the same reason which gives the moon it's phases.
While the earth rotates from day to night and back again in 24 hours, the moon takes 27 days to completely orbit the earth. Even though the moon has one of the lowest reflectivities of any body in the solar system, there are only two days when the moon is invisible or nearly so during the day, when the moon is full and when it is new.
(The new moon has no reflected light visible from earth and the full moon is opposite the sun with the earth in the middle (If you can see the sun, you can't see the moon.))
In order to beter understand, get a basketball, a softball and a lamp. As you move the softball moon around the basketball earth in relation to the lamp sun, you'll be able to see all the phases and also that the moon is visible during the relative day.:)

Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me and I will give your suggested test a go too.

[humito]

am hoping someone out there where its not cloudy will post some pics on here later:)

[91181]

This is a public service anouncment . The moon would now like to say a few words..:D


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=v3AHIxfPoDE

[blah]

Im a moon child, I love the moon. I wear sunglasses when the sun comes out, yes I have noticed the moon is visible in the uk alot, at least where I am.. makes me abit emotional lol

[devanshoom]

im looking at the moon right now....1.47 am, early hours of december 13th... Looks normal to me I must be a day late I reckon

[chattanova]

Biggest, Nearest Full Moon Tonight

It's been extraordinary huge today, and yes.. it's supposed to be :)

http://img19.picoodle.com/img/img19/3/12/12/f_MoonFull121m_e0d17d3.jpg

December 12, 2008, the moon will be 221,560 miles from Earth,
the closest all year. This biggest and nearest full moon also brings
higher tides than usual.

http://www.earthfiles.com/

[ownedtbh]

cant see shit with all the clouds

[fran81]

anyone feeling more unsusual than normal ?

I am actually, this morning I was just about to crack an egg on the toaster and not in the frying pan, I stopped myself just in time.

I've also been a bit emotional today, I kept welling up in tears whilst reading the Metro on the bus. My eyes welled up reading about Carole Vorderman leaving countdown. I hate Carole Vorderman!

[clozaril]

I am actually, this morning I was just about to crack an egg on the toaster and not in the grying pan, I stopped myself just in time.



wow that was almost a disaster !

[pali_gap]

cant see shit with all the clouds

lol nice said:D its raining here:(

[cluas]

all cloudy here too :(

But I still feel it :rolleyes:

[fran81]

wow that was almost a disaster !


LOL its not something I would ever do, I had been up for an hour beforehand so I can't blame that I just woke up.

[monkfish]

Where the frig is it? Dam clouds. Wheres jojo,,can you see it?

[measle_weasel]

Sounds very neat! I will try and see this!

[clozaril]

LOL its not something I would ever do, I had been up for an hour beforehand so I can't blame that I just woke up.

:D

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45261


i'm off to bed, i'd rather experience it at an unconscious level ;)

[griswald]

Just been out side to see the moon through broken cloud. Absolutely beautiful.

Ireland 22.00

griswald

[amethyst]

cant see shit with all the clouds

Here ya go! I took it tonight :D

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/908/132vc7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[dancing_with_durga]

I've just been out to look and it is superb - clear sky here. It's in a different place though! It's almost directly overhead, whereas it's usually a bit further south as I look - presumably it's nothing to worry about!

[onourwayto2012]

well crap... today is the shitiest day we've had here on the Oregon coast.... every day till now has been totally clear and beautiful...oh well...

[uzumaki505]

i can see it clearly right out in my back yard, very very cool...i heard this is the closest the moon has been to the earth, or at least this is the most visible it has been in quite some time...if the weather is decent...go check it out!

[le chuck]

cloudy here now in Liverpool 04:16 am

[alzee]

cloudy here too, Essex, just east of London 04:17am.

boooo :(

[crowd control]

Same here 4:25 Glasgow

[measle_weasel]

I just saw the moon, maybe an hour ago. Its still out. It doesnt look bigger than usual, but then again, I dont pay attention to the average size of a full moon.

[pali_gap]

lol all you guys can't sleep either? I swear this is not normal for me I just can't sleep tonight at all:confused:

[fnulnu]

I wasn't able to see it at all due to cloud cover last night,but,wow,it's still brilliant tonight.My room is illuminated beautifully,and the sky outside is deep blue.

I haven't been able to sleep a wink at night lately,for the past week or more,this super moon could well be the reason why.