Biggest and brightest full moon for 15 years
2 posters
www.VUE DES ISLES.com :: UK & World News,Business & Sports Latest :: Current World & UK Affairs :: Old Bits & Bobs
Page 1 of 1
Biggest and brightest full moon for 15 years
Each month the Moon orbits the Earth in an oval-shaped path, and on December 12 it will move past it around 28,000km closer than average.
The unusual feature is that this will coincide with a full moon, which will make it appear 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year, on Friday night.
Astrologists say the next encounter with a moon this close and full will not be until November 14 2016.
To make the sight even more spectacular much of Britain should be treated to a phenomenon known as the Moon illusion.
This is an optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger near the horizon than it does while higher up in the sky.
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.
Another astronomical treat that could be seen over the weekend is the annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the year's best displays of shooting stars.
Up to 100 meteors an hour can fly across the sky. The meteors, which are easy to spot with the naked eye, appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini, hence their name, but they can be seen all over the sky.
The best chance of seeing them is to look away from the Moon.
Meteor showers are caused by small fragments of cosmic debris entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speed. They vaporise due to friction with the air, leaving a streak of light that usually very quickly disappears. (from timesonline)
mmm typical rain supposed to be here tonight, not going to see much...
The unusual feature is that this will coincide with a full moon, which will make it appear 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year, on Friday night.
Astrologists say the next encounter with a moon this close and full will not be until November 14 2016.
To make the sight even more spectacular much of Britain should be treated to a phenomenon known as the Moon illusion.
This is an optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger near the horizon than it does while higher up in the sky.
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.
Another astronomical treat that could be seen over the weekend is the annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the year's best displays of shooting stars.
Up to 100 meteors an hour can fly across the sky. The meteors, which are easy to spot with the naked eye, appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini, hence their name, but they can be seen all over the sky.
The best chance of seeing them is to look away from the Moon.
Meteor showers are caused by small fragments of cosmic debris entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speed. They vaporise due to friction with the air, leaving a streak of light that usually very quickly disappears. (from timesonline)
mmm typical rain supposed to be here tonight, not going to see much...
Re: Biggest and brightest full moon for 15 years
ah see they puttin on a display 4 my birthday haha
sexy-spikes-
Number of posts : 1425
Location : guernsey
Job/hobbies : childcare.. looking after all me cheeky monkeys! :)
Registration date : 2008-03-11
Similar topics
» Look out tonight for the amazing spectacle of the biggest moon we've seen for 15 years .
» Bank May Deliver Biggest Cut In 15 years
» Biggest ship since the war
» Boat Show will be biggest yet
» 'Doctor Who' review: 'Day of the Moon'
» Bank May Deliver Biggest Cut In 15 years
» Biggest ship since the war
» Boat Show will be biggest yet
» 'Doctor Who' review: 'Day of the Moon'
www.VUE DES ISLES.com :: UK & World News,Business & Sports Latest :: Current World & UK Affairs :: Old Bits & Bobs
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum