Our Beautiful Moon

Oh swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, wrote Shakespeare in the 16th century, reflecting this long-held fascination with the cycles of our nearest satellite.



‘Supermoon’ rising this weekend from the LA Times:

The moon’s closest orbital point to the earth and its full stage coincide to make it appear far bigger and brighter than usual. The moon on Saturday will be the closest full moon since 1993.

As the sun sets in the west on Saturday, the biggest, brightest moon in about 20 years will be begin peeking over the Eastern horizon.

The so-called “supermoon” will appear about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than normal, according to NASA.

Because the moon’s orbit is oval, there is a point where it is the closest to the Earth, known as its perigee. The farthest point is known as its apogee.

On Saturday, the moon’s closest perigee of the year happens to occur within one hour of the monthly astronomical phase of the full moon, which together will create the rarely seen spectacle of illumination and size, said Geoff Chester, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C.

“It will be the closest full moon we’ve had since 1993, so if you want to wait another 19 years or so for your next crack at it, then do so,” Chester said. “But it’s a great excuse to go out and look at the moon.”

Those who hope to maximize their viewing experience should set their sights on the distant horizon with objects, like mountains or buildings, in the foreground. As the moon rises behind those objects, it creates an optical illusion that makes it appear even bigger to the naked eye, Chester said.

“I often say the moon is looked over and overlooked. People don’t take that much time out of their busy lives to appreciate it,” Chester said. “It’s an extraordinary thing.”

However moon-gazers in the Los Angeles area may be out of luck, as rainstorms will begin working their way into the region late Friday and through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. With a 40% chance of rain in the evening, the clouds may obscure even a giant shining moon.

this is beautiful

Thank you. I love the pictures you posted of Kerli. They are beautiful.

=( i'm super sad because i didn't see the supermoon i forgot it!!
:S i guess i'll wait 19 years to see the supermoon=/

MoonChildElaine wrote:Thank you. I love the pictures you posted of Kerli. They are beautiful.

You're welcome <3

I'm sure there's something about the Supermoon on YouTube -- the next best thing to really being there. Check it out. And if it makes you feel any better, alis18, the Supermoon is in the hearts of all Moon Children, so look deep within yourself and you'll see it, hon.

Love,

MoonChild Elaine

I saw it - it was beautiful.
It looked red and huge the first time i saw it - absoloutely beautiful.

When I looked at it, I saw a cross on it. That's what made it beautiful to me. God is in everything, everywhere.

MoonChildElaine wrote:When I looked at it, I saw a cross on it. That's what made it beautiful to me. God is in everything, everywhere.

Really? It must have been magical. I didn't see the cross in it!

It was the most beautiful, mystical moon I have ever seen.

I've seen it ,too and I've seen several enormous,red moons ♥