Wow! Did anyone else stop dead in their tracks to stare at the moon tonight? I knew nothing about the lunar specialness about to show itself, but it was breathtaking. Here's what National Geographic news has to say about the phenomenon:
Look for an especially large and bright Full Moon later this week. The Full Moon of 2008 DEC 12 will occur very near perigee. That perigee will be the closest between the centers of the Moon and Earth since 1993 and until 2016. The Earth is not far from its early January perihelion. That enhances the brightness of reflected sunlight. The closest perigees occur when they coincide with a Full Moon and the Earth near perihelion. Since this month’s Full Moon will be happening near the Winter Solstice, it will appear especially high near local midnight for observers north of the tropics. Where there is snow on the ground the lighting effect may be breathtaking.No kidding! I walked upstairs to turn off the kitchen lights and looked out our patio doors. I was stunned by the oh-so-bright moonlight reflected off the pristine snow in our backyard. I tried to take pictures of it all, but no luck there. I didn't realize exactly how hard it is to take good pictures of the moon.
For we peeps in North America, the moon will be fullest and closest during midday tomorrow, the 12th. But the difference will be barely noticeable during the two nights on either side, so in essence we’ll be seeing the effect twice. If you missed it, there's still a chance!
Kristin