Hey Space Placers!
Want to see something tat hasn't been seen in 18 years? How about the closest Full Moon in that time as well as the closest one for 2011? The 'net has been alive with stories about tonight's (March 19th) "Super Moon" an adjective created supposedly by an astrologer to describe a regular astronomical event.
Tonight's Full Moon will be 14% larger and 30% brighter as a result of being at a very favorable perigee (the closest distance to the Earth in a lunar orbit cycle) within one hour of the Full Moon actually occuring.
This is best seen when the Moon rises in the East and has objects in the foreground to amplify the "Moon Illusion" - the phenomenon of the Moon looking far larger to our eyes than it really is. When the Moon is just above the horizon and has trees, buildings or the horizon in our field of view the Moon looks much larger than when it is up high in the sky. Read More About It: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/
Enjoy the "Full Worm Moon" view - the name for this month's Full Moon - so called in recognition of spring and the appearance of worms in the warming soil.
Don't forget to say hello to MESSENGER over in the west as Mercury is climbing to its highest point in the sky this week.
Sky Guy in VA
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