The next super-moon will be the largest since 1948

The next super-moon will be the largest since 1948

On Monday morning, an entire generation will witness the largest super moon.

You may be a little tired of headlines with the promise of a super moon. I mean that many may say: “Super? Seriously? Doesn't this event happen four to six times a year? ”. But, what if there is only one super moon? Surely you should pay attention to this phenomenon, which is going to blind our skies on earlier Monday morning. This super moon is going to be extra super. After all, it will be the largest super-life that has adorned our sky since 1948. And we will not be able to observe the repetition of this incredible event until 2034.

So, what is a super moon, and what makes this event so special?

As the moon rotates around Earth, its orbit is slightly elliptical. This means that it can reach our planet as close as possible (225300 miles in perigee) and distance itself (251900 miles in apogee). When the full moon, which occurs once (or sometimes twice) a month, coincides with the time of the perigee, we have the opportunity to see a large and bright moon in the sky. This event is known as “syzygy” - when Sun, the Earth and Moon line up during lunar orbits around the planet. When syzygy and perigee occur at the same time, you get a super moon. And on November 14, the syzygy will occur within 2 hours of the perigee. This is the closest space synchronization in the last 70 years, so this time is called the super-super-life.

Watching the super moon on a clear night, you can see that the full moon shines especially brightly. This is because during the perigee period the moon appears in the sky 14% more (compared to the apogee time) and, therefore, it will shine 30% brighter. Simply put, this is a full moon pumped with steroids.

As for the super moon on Monday, you may not notice the difference from the previous super moon. But note in your mind that this is the greatest superfluence of a whole generation. The exact time of the perigee will come at 6:22 am (Eastern time), and the exact time of the full moon - 8:52 am (Eastern time). Unfortunately, for most of the United States this will happen after the Moon sets, so it’s better to go out on Sunday night or early Monday morning so as not to miss the surprisingly close super-super moon. “I repeat to people that they need to go out at night on Sunday or Monday evening to admire this event,” said Noah Petro, deputy research manager for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) NASA mission at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland. . “The difference in the distance of one night from another will be very subtle. So, if it is cloudy on Sunday, then you can go out on Monday at any time after sunset. As the moon is full, it will grow almost along with the sunset. It turns out that you do not need to be awake all night to enjoy this spectacle. ”

If you miss Super Moon on Monday, do not despair. You just need to wait until December 14, when the next one comes. Although this event will satisfy lovers, for meteor hunters it will be an unpleasant incident. This super moon will powder the hopes of seeing all but the brightest "stars" of the meteor shower. Geminids. The bright light of the moon will become a huge problem even for astronomers in the brightest sky.

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