Next week will bring an event unseen since 1948.
An election that proves we in the media have no idea what we’re talking about?
No, that was last week.
This week, the biggest “supermoon” in nearly 70 years will rise. The date range includes Nov. 13-15, with Nov. 14 as the peak. Supermoons, a totally unscientific term popularized by astrologers rather than astronomers, occur when the moon is full during the closer part of its elliptical orbit – defined as within 10 percent of its closest point, according to NASA. The lunar distance varies by about 30,000 miles: 221,500 miles away from Earth at its “perigee” and 252,700 miles at its “apogee.” Supermoons can appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, if conditions are clear.
Supermoons are relatively common, with an average of one every 14 full moons. This year is unusual, with a supermoon in each of the last three months of 2016. The November moon is special, though. The moon hasn’t been this close since 1948 and won’t be again until 2034.
Here’s hoping for clear skies.
Comparison of the moon’s appearance at its closest and farthest points (Wikipedia)
Featured image photo by Paul Reynolds.
