Sam Fisher
Banned
Look up this weekend -- the moon is getting closer and bigger.
The most super of all supermoons spotted over the course of the year will peak this Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, when the moon makes its closest pass to Earth of 2013. It's known as the perigee full moon, according to EarthSky, and it's the largest of the half-dozen-or-so supermoons that occur annually.
(MORE: Spacecraft Becomes the First to Orbit This Planet)
Supermoons occur when the sun, Earth and moon align, with the Earth in the middle. As a result, gravity pulls the moon closer, reports CNET.
However, the phenomena aren't vastly different from ordinary full moons. This weekend's moon will only be approximately three miles closer to Earth than usual, says EarthSky.
The moon's effect on ocean tides is higher during a perigee moon than any other time, so expect higher and lower tides than usual.
If you're looking for a more-thrilling lunar event, a larger supermoon is expected on Sept. 28, 2015, and the largest supermoon until 2034 will occur on Nov. 14, 2016.
http://www.wunderground.com/news/largest-supermoon-year-peaks-weekend-20130618
The most super of all supermoons spotted over the course of the year will peak this Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, when the moon makes its closest pass to Earth of 2013. It's known as the perigee full moon, according to EarthSky, and it's the largest of the half-dozen-or-so supermoons that occur annually.
(MORE: Spacecraft Becomes the First to Orbit This Planet)
Supermoons occur when the sun, Earth and moon align, with the Earth in the middle. As a result, gravity pulls the moon closer, reports CNET.
However, the phenomena aren't vastly different from ordinary full moons. This weekend's moon will only be approximately three miles closer to Earth than usual, says EarthSky.
The moon's effect on ocean tides is higher during a perigee moon than any other time, so expect higher and lower tides than usual.
If you're looking for a more-thrilling lunar event, a larger supermoon is expected on Sept. 28, 2015, and the largest supermoon until 2034 will occur on Nov. 14, 2016.
http://www.wunderground.com/news/largest-supermoon-year-peaks-weekend-20130618
