'Supermoon' coming this Saturday
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This weekend will be an absolute delight for both
professional and amateur astronomers alike: On Saturday, the United States will be treated to a "supermoon" event — an evening where the full moon
appears at its largest and brightest in the night sky. It's the first of six
major celestial events slated to occur in the month of May.
The moon will officially become
full at 11:35 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. This coincides almost perfectly with the
moon's perigee — that is, the moment when the moon is closest to Earth in its
orbit. This supermoon will be especially pronounced given that this will be the
moon's closest approach of the year.
There's no need to get the kids out of bed for this one —
the best time to view the moon will be the early evening, just after the moon
rises. Catching a partially obstructed view of the moon is said to be best, as
that will create an optical illusion that makes the moon seem even bigger.
The supermoon will have an effect on tides, though
experts say there's no need for alarm since the increased effect is still
relatively weak. That's not to say a supermoon hasn't caused damage in the past:
It's believed that a supermoon event may have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic 100 years
ago.
