On March 19, 2011, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It’s a super “perigee moon” – the biggest in almost 20 years. Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon’s orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee): diagram. Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moon’s orbit. Contrary to some reports circulating the Internet, perigee Moons do not trigger natural disasters. The “super moon” of March 1983, for instance, passed without incident. And an almost-super Moon in Dec. 2008 also proved harmless.
The best time to look is when the Moon is near the horizon. That is when illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view. Read more…
