Super Moons

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The coming Super Moon (which is also known as a Full Worm Moon) will be so extreme (221,566 miles away) that a similar event hasn’t been seen since 1993 – it’s almost an Extreme Super Moon.

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There are opposite opinions as to whether this has any significance or not

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Super Moon 2011 – March 19th Closest Position in its Orbit to Earth – Amazing Facts

Reference:

http://www.shishirk.com/2011/03/super-moon-2011-march-19th-closest-position-in-its-orbit-to-earth-amazing-facts/

The astronomer Richard Nolle coined the term “Super Moon” which means a new or full moon at 90% or greater of its closest perigee to Earth.

Well on March 19th the moon will be at perigee (its closest position in its orbit to Earth). This will be the closest perigee in 18 years. 

The largest effect will be on the tide which occurs at the full moon every month as the closer to the earth the moon orbits, so the effect on tides increases.

A 5% increase in proximity makes about 20% difference in the power the moon exerts so those in coastal regions should anticipate stronger tides.

An extreme “SuperMoon” is when the moon is full or new as well as at its 100% greater mean perigee (closest) distance to earth.

By this definition, last month’s full moon, this month’s and next month’s will all be extreme “SuperMoons”.

Some largely internet-based claims say such events are related to catastrophies such as extreme siesmic events or extreme weather and some coincidential strong events have happened at the same time as Super Moons, however no definitive scientific research has concluded that.

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Opinion 1 : that it is associated with weather changes

Reference:

(a)

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/weather/2011/03/extreme-supermoon-on-march-19-makes-astrologers-wet-their-pants-9251.html

According to Nolle’s forecast, from March 16 to March 22 we could see “the usual.” That means:

[A] surge in extreme tides along the coasts, a rash of moderate-to-severe seismic activity (including magnitude 5+ earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions), and most especially in this case a dramatic spike in powerful storms with heavy precipitation, damaging winds and extreme electrical activity.

Floods are a big part of the picture in this case, although some of these will be dry electrical storms that spark fast-spreading wildfires.

A “perigree” describes the moon’s closest approach to earth in its irregular orbit. “During,” in the context of this article, apparently means “somewhere in the same year, or maybe the one before or after.”

For instance, Cyclone Tracy hit Australia on Christmas Eve, 1974. The closest SuperMoon was on Jan. 27, 1975.

Hurricane Katrina made land on the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, which was 10 days after the SuperMoon for that month.

The 1938 New England hurricane happened on Sept. 21, three weeks after a SuperMoon.

Australia’s Hunter River experienced mass flooding and property destruction in February 1955, two whole months before and after bookending SuperMoons.

(b)

A scientist mentions the moon in connection with earthquakes.

Fox news video

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4584933/a-major-earthquake-in-north-america-imminent

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Opinion 2: Supermoon – tsunami – earthquake connection disputed by meteorologist.

References:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/tsunami-supermoon-theory-13116090

http://www.shishirk.com/2011/03/super-moon-2011-march-19th-closest-position-in-its-orbit-to-earth-amazing-facts/

The Moon Illusion

From the Dark Sky Diary

http://darkskydiary.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/the-moon-illusion/

9 March 2011 Steve Owens

I’ll make a prediction: on or around 19 March, when the so-called “Supermoon” occurs, at its closest approach to Earth in two decades, people will indeed report that the Moon looks much bigger than normal.

But it won’t really be much bigger in the sky at all. It’s all in our heads!

The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical orbit, meaning that it is not always the same distance from the Earth.

The closest the Moon ever gets to Earth (called apogee) is 364,000km, and the furthest is ever gets (perigee) is around 406,000km (these figures vary, and in fact this Full Moon on 19 March 2011 will see a slightly closer approach of 357,000km).

So the percentage difference in distance between the average perigee and the average apogee is ~10%.

That is, if the Full Moon occurs at perigee it can be up to 10% closer (and therefore larger) than if it occurred at apogee.

This is quite a significant difference, and so it is worth pointing out that the Moon does appear to be different sizes at different times throughout the year.

But that’s NOT what causes the Moon to look huge on the horizon.

Such a measly 10% difference in size cannot account for the fact that people describe the Moon as “huge” when they see it low on the horizon.

What’s really causing the Moon to look huge on such occasions is the circuitry in your brain. It’s an optical illusion, so well known that it has its own name: the Moon Illusion.

If you measure the angular size of the Full Moon in the sky it varies between 36 arc minutes (0.6 degrees) at perigee, and 30 arc minutes (0.5 degrees) at apogee, but this difference will occur within a number of lunar orbits (months), not over the course of the night as the Moon rises.

In fact if you measure the angular size of the Full Moon just after it rises, when it’s near the horizon, and then again hours later once it’s high in the sky, these two numbers are identical: it doesn’t change size at all.

So why does your brain think it has?

There’s no clear consensus on this, but the two most reasonable explanations are as follows:

1. When the Moon is low on the horizon there are lots of objects (hills, houses, trees etc) against which you can compare its size. When it’s high in the sky it’s there in isolation. This might create something akin to the Ebbinghaus Illusion, where identically sized objects appear to be different sizes when placed in different surroundings.

Ebbinghaus Illusion – the two orange circles are exactly the same size

2. When seen against nearer foreground objects which we know to be far away from us, our brain thinks something like this: “wow, that Moon is even further than those trees, and they’re really far away. And despite how far away it is, it still looks pretty big. That must mean the Moon is huge!”.

These two factors combine to fool our brains into “seeing” a larger Moon when it’s near the horizon compared with when its overhead, even when our eyes – and our instruments – see it as exactly the same size.

Supermoon Nonsense

9 March 2011 Steve Owens

There seems to be a growing excitement about the “Supermoon” that is due to occur on 19 March 2011, when the Moon will be at its closest to Earth in this orbit, and closer than it has been at any time since 1992.

Moon – not Super

The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical orbit, i.e. it is not perfectly circular, and so in each orbit there is a closest approach, called “perigee” and a furthest approach, called “apogee”.

At this month’s perigee the Moon will be 356,577km away from Earth, and will indeed be at its closest in almost 20 years. But how close is it compared with other perigees?

Let’s start by comparing it to the Moon’s average distance from the Earth, which is ~385,000km. This perigee will be ~8% closer to the Earth than average. OK, that’s a bit closer, but not significantly so.

What about comparing it to the Moon’s average perigee distance, which is ~364,000km. So this “Supermoon” will be ~2% closer to the Earth than it is most months at perigee. Wow!

So what will this mean to you?

Nothing at all.

The Moon will be a few percent bigger in the sky, but your eye won’t really be able to tell the difference.

It will also be a few percent brighter, but your eye will compensate for this too, so altogether this “Supermoon” will look exactly the same as it always does when it’s full.

As to all of those soothsayers claiming that there will be earthquakes and tidal waves.

There very well might be, but they’ll be nothing at all to do with the Moon.

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Marianne’s note

So, will this super moon be considered a prophetic landmark for upcoming events?

Or, it is only an astronomical normality?

Sometimes, God uses the ordinary in nature to accomplish his supernatural purpose.

Other times, it is just nature doing what it is designed to do.

More important than watching nature, we should be keeping our minds and hearts on God.

Then, we will be able to interpret whatever comes our way properly.

In the meantime, the sight of a Super Moon is awesome, and beautiful, and is the glory of God revealed to man.