Fear the Supermoon

[Yurt]

There is no reason for anybody to dread the largest full moon of 2013, known as the "supermoon," a NASA scientist says.

On Sunday (June 23), the moon will reach perigee — the closest point to Earth in the rocky satellite's orbit around the planet. Although some people have suggested that the supermoon might drive people crazy, cause natural disasters and wreak havoc on the tides, there is scant evidence in support of those claims, NASA assures.

Don't Fear the Supermoon, NASA Says

i'm buying a werewolf costume so i can blend in when the attacks begin

 

[Moonglow]

I'll be Moon tanning...

 

[boedicca]

It's not a coincidence that World War Z is opening this weekend!

Zombie Apocalypse!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wolfsister77]

I'm getting ready to go out and howl.

 

[Pogo]

There is no reason for anybody to dread the largest full moon of 2013, known as the "supermoon," a NASA scientist says.

On Sunday (June 23), the moon will reach perigee — the closest point to Earth in the rocky satellite's orbit around the planet. Although some people have suggested that the supermoon might drive people crazy, cause natural disasters and wreak havoc on the tides, there is scant evidence in support of those claims, NASA assures.

Don't Fear the Supermoon, NASA Says

i'm buying a werewolf costume so i can blend in when the attacks begin

True, although murders and other lunatic events do peak at the full moon. So do births.

 

[Moonglow]

and skinny dipping

 

[Pogo]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m4PvEP4RpA]Billie Holiday - Moonglow 1952 - Irving Mills - YouTube[/ame]

 

[dilloduck]

I ain't buying it...I'm going to freak out for the whole weekend.

 

[Yurt]

It's not a coincidence that World War Z is opening this weekend!

Zombie Apocalypse!!!!!!!!!!!

i completely concur

buy your costumes now, don't wait

 

[Yurt]

I ain't buying it...I'm going to freak out for the whole weekend.

you will be dead by monday

 

[dilloduck]

I ain't buying it...I'm going to freak out for the whole weekend.

you will be dead by monday

Woot--I'll never have to do laundry again.

 

[waltky]

Yea, Uncle Ferd usually goes out howlin' at the moon on Saturday nights...

Rare Supermoon Eclipse Will Be Last Until 2033
September 22, 2015 - In the wake of the pope’s visit to the United States, a rare – and unrelated celestial event – will happen in the heavens. You’ll see it either Sunday or Monday, depending where you live.

What’s in store is a lunar eclipse, which by itself isn’t that uncommon. You might see as many as three of those a year. What’s special is that it coincides with a supermoon, when the moon is closer to Earth than any other time in its orbit. It appears bigger and brighter. “The last supermoon and lunar eclipse was in 1982,” said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. “So we’ll go from being very bright to turning this beautiful red color, the effect of the sunrises and sunsets of the Earth being projected on to the lunar surface,” he said.

September 2015 eclipse coincides with a supermoon when the moon appears larger and closer, as in this photo:

Traffic streaks by the supermoon as it rises behind the Memorial Bridge in Washington, Saturday, July 12, 2014. The full moon Saturday may seem huge, but it's just an illusion caused by its position in the sky.

Taking moon's temperature

Petro said it’s a unique opportunity to measure the surface temperature of the moon. “What we see is that surfaces that stay warm longer generally have larger blocks or smaller pebbles and things like that; where surfaces that cool off very quickly have smaller sand-sized particles; and so by measuring how the surface of the moon, the temperature of the surface of the moon changes during an eclipse, we learn about the makeup of the surface of the moon, the structure of the surface," he said. NASA has had its eye on the moon for a long time, beginning with the Apollo program in the 1960's. In more recent years, the space agency has collected data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [LRO] that flies as low as 20 kilometers above the moon's surface.

Petro said LRO discoveries have shown the moon is much more dynamic than previously thought. “We are seeing new impact craters that have formed in the six years that we have been there. We are seeing evidence of migrating water across the surface. Not a lot of water, a small amount of water; but still the view that the moon is a static unchanging place is now completely different,” he said.

Natural lab for studying Earth's history

Some moon rocks date back 4.5 billion years to the earliest history of our solar system. Petro said that record is almost all gone from the Earth. He said studying the surface of the moon is a natural laboratory for investigation to see what was happening just after the planets formed. “When we look at the moon, we are really looking into the deep history of the Earth as well,” he said. “I think from that we can learn a lot about how our planet has changed and how all planets have changed over time.” The supermoon eclipse will be visible Sunday after sunset in North America and all of South America, and before dawn on Monday in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. While the event is rare, scientists can predict it; but your next opportunity to see this celestial wonder won't be until 2033.

Rare Supermoon Eclipse Will Be Last Until 2033

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - the Lord gonna bless those who bless Israel an' curse all those who curse Israel...

Fourth Blood Moon: A Blessing and a Warning
Monday, September 28, 2015 -- For the past two years, millions of people worldwide have been fascinated by blood moons from four successive lunar eclipses called a tetrad. Many seen them as a sign God Himself has placed in the heavens.

During a lunar eclipse, the moon turns the color of blood. It's extremely rare to have four blood moons in a row fall during the biblical feasts commanded by the Lord. The last of the tetrad was on display Sunday night in many places around the world. It's the first one visible in Israel, appearing in the pre-dawn hours Monday morning. And like the previous three eclipses, it falls on the first day of a biblical feast, this time the Feast of Tabernacles.

Many who came to Israel to witness the blood moon believe it's a sign of harvest. "But we really sense that the Holy Spirit is coming with a massive harvest, a great awakening, and I believe this red moon is a harvest moon. That's an indicator of a jubilee of jubilees for the souls of man," Cindy Jacobs, with Generals of Intercession, told CBN News. Previous blood moon tetrads -- all falling on Jewish feast days -- have coincided with major events for Israel and the Jewish people. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain and Columbus discovered America, which would become a safe haven for the Jewish people. In 1948, Israel was reborn as a modern nation. And in 1967, Israel recaptured Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.

Bob O'Dell co-authored a book about the blood moons, titled Israel First!. He believes they're a sign of good things ahead for Israel, but perhaps troubling times for nations that come against her. "I personally believe that in the years ahead we will begin to look at Israel in a new way, that these blood moons mark a new phase in the life of Israel," O'Dell told CBN News. "It's no longer about the Israel that is struggling to survive, but now it is about an Israel that is learning to thrive." O'Dell says it will be more than 500 years before four blood moons fall again on the first days of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles.

Source

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - mark yer calendar so ya won't miss it...

November and December will See ‘Supermoons’
November 03, 2016 - Sky gazers have a special treat to look for later this month when a “supermoon” lights up the heavens.

According to NASA, the November 14th full moon will be the closest full moon of this year, and the closest to Earth since 1948. It won’t be as close again until November 25, 2034. Even if the skies are cloudy on the 14th, the moon will still be very bright on the nights leading up to the supermoon.

An eclipsed supermoon is shown on September 27, 2015 in Burbank California.​

A supermoon is when the moon and Earth are closer than they usually are, if only by a small margin. The slight change, however, can cause the moon to appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a normal full moon. The term supermoon is relatively new, having been created in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle.

Others have referred to the supermoon as a “mega beaver moon.” That name comes from the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which said it got that name because “for both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.”

A so-called supermoon is seen at the finish of a lunar eclipse behind an Orthodox church in Turets, Belarus, 110 kilometers (69 miles) west of capital Minsk​

And if you miss the November supermoon, fret not. There will be another one on December 14. The bad news about that supermoon, according to NASA, is that it will drown on the view of the Geminid meteor shower.

November and December will See ‘Supermoons’

 

[waltky]

First time in 68 years, Harvest moon = Supermoon this year...

Earthlings stunned by Supermoon witnessed after 68 years
Tuesday 15th November, 2016 - On Monday, many parts of our planet experienced a rare sight in the Supermoon, that hasn’t been seen in the last 68 years.

The NASA, describing it as an ‘extra supermoon’ has said this is the closest the moon has been to Earth since 1948 at a distance of 356,509 kilometres. Further, the Supermoon on Monday was also the biggest and brightest ever witnessed since 1948. NASA said, “When the moon is full as it makes its closest pass to Earth, it is known as a supermoon. The full moon appears that much larger in diameter and because it is larger, shines 30 percent more moonlight onto the Earth.” Skygazers from different parts of the world had been preparing to witness this rare phenomena and enthusiastic shutterbugs perched themselves on high rises to capture this historical night sky. Such a phenomena is expected to be witnessed next on November 25, 2034.

The supermoon was first visible in Asia, where the rising pollution and cloudy skies didn’t prove to be a dampner and people from various Asian countries witnessed the moon rise and snapped stunning shots of it. Many across other regions were hooked onto social media to find best viewing spots in their neighbourhood, while some camped in the deserts and on beaches to catch the rare glimpse. While many Australians posted images capture of the supermoon in Sydney, several others from Hong Kong showcased dramatic photos of the phenomena on their social media pages. Taiwan had organised telescopes outside a major public hall in the capital, Taipei where enthusiastic skywatchers queued up to catch the spectacle unfold before their eyes.

Many groups of youngsters and families gathered on rooftops in Indonesia, while several others in Thailand, where astrologers predicted the phenomena would either spell disaster or bring great fortune - caught the supermoon rising with friends. NASA's Noah Petro, deputy scientist of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission was quoted on Space.com as saying, “The main reason why the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle is that there are a lot of tidal, or gravitational, forces that are pulling on the moon. You have all of these different gravitational forces pulling and pushing on the moon, which gives us opportunities to have these close passes."

Petro added, “One of the interesting things about the moon is that it's not only pulling on the Earth's oceans, it’s actually pulling on the Earth's crust. The Earth's crust — the land beneath our feet — actually deforms and responds to the moon in a very subtle way. We're not talking about dramatic shifts in distance, but were talking about subtle differences that are noticeable if you're used to looking at the moon.”

Earthlings stunned by Supermoon witnessed after 68 years