Space: Did You Know That #41

[Robert Bruce]

Did You Know:

Super Moon is here at UK tonight.


Article & photo courtesy of Sky News:


A so-called super moon is set to light up the sky overnight from Saturday into Sunday morning, bringing a lunar spectacle for amateur and professional astronomers alike.

Super moons happen when the satellite's closest approach to the Earth during its orbit - known as perigee - coincides with a full moon.
Saturday's "perigee moon", as it is known scientifically, will be as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons this year, says Nasa Science.

During this week's perigee, the moon will be 221,801 miles (356,955 km) from Earth. That close approach will happen within minutes of the official full moon phase, which occurs at 4.35am BST on Sunday morning.

"Only one minute later, the moon will line up with Earth and the sun to become brilliantly full. The timing is almost perfect," Nasa said.
The super moon, a term coined in 1979, will also cause high and low tides to be slightly more extreme than usual. But astronomers say there is nothing to fear - super moons are about picturesque moments and are not a threat to the planet.

"While we know that during new and full moons the tides are greatest - and if it's in concert with a storm surge it might produce unusual flooding - there is no scientific evidence that earthquakes and other natural disasters are connected," Geza Gyuk, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, told National Geographic.

"Super moons have been happening for billions of years, and nothing particularly special occurs on these dates - except, of course, for a beautiful full moon." The last super moon occurred in UK during March last year, and was about 400km closer than tonight's
.
Sky News weather producer Chris England said most places in the UK will enjoy clear spells overnight - except southeast England and central Scotland, which will be cloudy.

My luck is that the clouds will cover up the moon tonight. However I will set the alarm just in case!

 


Meanwhile in the land down-under  courtesy of news.com.au, there is/was "a big moon on the rise".

It is the closest the moon gets to planet Earth for a year and coincides almost exactly with a full moon over Tasmania.

The lunar perigee, or the closest orbit of the moon to the Earth, happens at 1pm and the moon becomes full at 1.36pm the same day.
The super moon happens once a year. It will be a mere 356,953km from the Earth. Scientists say the closer than usual full moon will not cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects. Hobart meteorologist Malcolm Downing said he was sceptical about claims of natural disasters associated with super moons.

Mr Downing said the gravitational traction on the Earth may be slightly stronger but the sun had a much stronger effect on our weather.
"We are not expecting anything extraordinary in the weather," he said. But Victorian amateur weather forecaster Kevin Long said all major extreme weather events of the past century were the result of the moon and other planets. Mr Long has predicted a major flood for 2028 and a major dry period for the years 2018 to 2022 related to the position of the planets.

Super tides are predicted with this super moon.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/super-moon-set-to-dazzle-australia-at-sunset/story-e6frfq80-1226347705359#ixzz1u0KPP6gZ

[henniek]

space suits + Helmets Apollo 17 covered in lunar dust after moon walk 1972 . credit ; NASA

[SandyB]

We seem to get this super moon in CT every so now and again ,, it hangs low and big in the sky ,, indeed awesome ...

[henniek]

In 1984, high above the Earth's surface, an astronaut captured a satellite. It was the second satellite captured that mission. Pictured , astronaut Dale A. Gardner flies free using the Manned Maneuvering Unit and begins to attach a control device dubbed the Stinger to the rotating Westar 6 satellite. Communications satellite Westar 6 had suffered a rocket malfunction that left it unable to reach its intended high orbit. Both the previously caught Palapa B-2 satellite and the Westar 6 satellite were guided into the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Discovery and returned to Earth. Westar 6 was subsequently refurbished and sold.