Saturday, May 5, 2012

USA - large (perigee) full moon tonight, Saturday May 5, 2012.


This moon rises in Pacifica at 8:34 pm.

CNN/Light years, i Report team,  5/4/12. "Super Moon to put shine on night-sky viewing.".
"Wait until dark Saturday. Dust off your telescope or binoculars. Grab the kids (dust them off too if needed). Go outside. Look up at the moon. Does it look bigger than usual?  According to NASA, this May’s full moon is called a "super moon,” and it will look about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons this year.

Supermoon Rises: The Full Moon of March 19, 2011
Picture 2 of 26 from Space.com
Scientists call it a “perigee moon.” Perigee, as all good space and science geeks know, means the moon is as close to the Earth as it will get for a while. The exact time of perigee will be 11:34 p.m. ET Saturday. (Apogee means far away but we don’t care about a distant, tiny dim moon, do we?)

The best time to see the "super moon" is just as it crosses Earth's horizon. The moon always looks biggest then, although why is a bit of a mystery. Go online to find out when the moon rises in your area. If you get good pictures of the "super moon" – please share with our iReport team.  

About CNN Light years reporting. Light Years strives to tell the stories of science research, discovery, space and education. This is your go-to place on CNN.com for today’s stories, but also for a scientific perspective on the news and everyday wonders. Come indulge your curiosity in all things space and science related, brought to you by the entire CNN family."

Reference Science NASA, "Science Casts: The Super Moon of May 2012," (Perigee full moon), 3.25 minute video worth viewing.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

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