NEW DELHI: An exceptional celestial treat is in store for sky gazers as 'supermoon', the biggest and brightest full moon of the year which will be closest to Earth in 18 years, will be seen in the night sky on Saturday.
"The 'supermoon' will be closest to the Earth in 18 years today and will appear to be the biggest and brightest of 2011, Director of Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) C B Devgun told PTI.
Saturday's full moon will be around 10 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter as compared to other full moons during the year, he said.
The term 'Supermoon' was first coined by Astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. According to him, it is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to the Earth in its orbit than average, which is 90 per cent or more of its closest orbit, and the moon is a full or new moon.
Today, the moon will be only 3,56,577 kms away from the Earth, the closest while at the full moon phase in 18 years.
Earlier, there were supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005.
Regular situations of full moons coinciding with the moon's closest point to Earth in fact happen after about every one year, one month and 18 days when it is about 3,63,104 km away from the Earth, Devgun said.
"This is because the moon's orbit is an ellipse with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other. In the language of astronomy, the two extremes are called 'apogee' (far away) and 'perigee' (nearby)," Devgun said.
At the closest, our natural satellite moon lies roughly 3,56,630 kms from the Earth compared to its average distance of 3,84,800 km from the planet.
"The moon will not only shine brighter but will also appear bigger as compared to other full moons during the year," he said.
The full moon will be at its best at around 3:30am, R C Kapoor, a retired professor of Indian Institute of Astrophysics said.
(story from The Times of India)
I went out and took some photos of the super moon. It was a wonderful sight enhanced by the fact that we are seeing it after 18 years.I wonder what I was doing on a night like this 18 years ago .
In all probability I was curled up underneath a heavy quilt in freezing Mussoorie up there in the Himalayas. Oh I loved the Himalayan moonlight - so bright and sharp, reflecting off the hillsides.
It talked back to you when you spoke to it.
What are you doing friends.
Take out your cameras and shoot the moon on March 19th. Its a historic moon.
Its the night of the Hindu festival of Holi. People are celebrating around bonfires. There is music , food and gaiety. Followed by 2 days of colored water sprinkling and other forms of celebrations.
I made White Peas Chaat tonight.
Click on the name for the recipe
it goes well with a spicy,tangy, yogurt sauce.
You can also add boiled
potatoes to it.
And garnish it with Indian snack mix and tomatoes.
Yummy.
Now shoot the moon.
Are you going to capture
astronomical history
and share it on your blog?
17 Fertilize my soul:
Wow! That's quite a sight. Those are some great photos.
Take care Amrita and have a great week :-)
~Ron
*******
Dear Amrita,
What a clever photographer you are.
Gunnar was outside 30 minutes ago, but his captures were by far as stunning as yours.
Congratulations.
The moon itself is just wonderful.
I echo you, get up from your chairs and admire God's great wonders.
I'm so happy for you that you had this joyful day out in the city. For sure you deserve it and much more.
You are one of my heroines, and I am proud to call you my sister.
From Felisol
Just told Daddy I had to get out tonight and take photos of the 'supermoon'. He looked at me as thought I had odd things growing out my head! Can't wait to see it! Thanks for sharing your shots, which are incredible!
Many hugs.........
Diane
You always have something of interest here! Good stuff! C-A
Dearest Amrita,
What an insightful post, and what a beautiful photos. I will be rushing to look at the moon as soon as I finish this comment :-))
By the way, those white peas look yummy!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, and at shortstorybook.net and for your kind comments. You are a gem!
Doris
Great photos of the moon Amrita! I tried to take pictures of it here, but we've had heavy thunderstorms here today. The moon peaks through the clouds ocassionaly and looks rather spooky through the trees.bBut I enjoyed your informative post.
The White Peas Chaat looks delicious. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hi Amrita,
last night Ginny and I walked down to a park to watch the moon rise over the river with the city's skyline in the far background.
We carried folding chairs and relaxed while watching other people fight with cameras and settings and low batteries. Poor souls. It would take more than a supermoon to draw them away from their gadgets.
Ginny and I just relaxed, and smoked and talked and held hands--not a single snapshot did we take. We enjoyed a wonderful time.
John
I thnk each every one of you for talking to me.
Hi Ron, your cognitive posts really make me think.
Dear Felisol, you really have heart for the suffering and disadvantaged world neighbourhood. You look beyond your fence and reach out to lend a helping hand.
Gunnar 's photography is so professional . Your London pictures are fabulous I must say.
Hi Diane, I aske d my Mum to have a look and she did out of the bedroon window. Oh your Dad is sweet. next time make a cow jump over the moon and he will come out and have a look! LOL.
Hi C-A, its th e same moon which shines all over us - good feeling.
Dear Doris, I learn so much about care giving an d dealing with attitudes of senior people and their needs from your blog. You are a wonderful writer.
Hi Lynda, that hapened on the last solar eclipse w e had last year - but I just took a picture of the clouds knowing all the action was taking place behind them. Ha-ha!
Try th e white peas .
Hi John, how lovely that Ginny and you could enjoy the moment together. You have locked it up in your hearts instead of on a micro chip - that 's far more precious.
Bright last night in Scotland, although the city lights don't let you see it to best effect.
"The small light to rule the night" gives a suggestion of the church, Christ's assembly, shining in His absence.
In Cracow sky is with clouds - the weather isn't good.
2 months ago I came for walking with Berta and... I met solar eclipse.
Hi Amrita. I wish I had read this post before last night! The here on Niue Island was so bright last night and big. I was sitting with my family in our kitchen and draw their attention to its size and extra brightness. Wish I'd taken a picture!This week I've noticed the moon coming out while it was still daylight (6pm). I posted a picture of it in my blog.The sun was barely beginning to set and here the moon was already way up in the sky.
cheers :)
It turned out to be overcast Saturday night, so I didn't get to take any pictures...I wish I had gone out the night before and gotten pictures of the bunnies, they were so bright in the moonlight...
Your photos are ethereal.
Yes .. indeed it was a very enchanting and bright moon. Your pictures captured the moment. Thanks for sharing. And .. you know ever since I made one of your Indian recipes, I've had a hankering to make some more .. thanks for sharing the white bean recipe .. will have to look up the recipe.
Blessings to you and mom.
Love,
Yes, supermoon evokes so many superstitious beliefs to so many people. Some said that it triggered the great earthquake and tsunami in Japan which is absurd because the earthquake and tsunami happened way before the supermoon. I was fascinated to know that you were in the Himalayas before. Which part of the Himalayas? Was it adjacent to Tibet and Nepal? I have such a great fascination for the Himalayas brought about by a novel I read entitled The Far Pavilions and the movie The Lost Horizon. The atmosphere in our place does not have a clear sky so I cannot take a picture of the supermoon. Thanks for the post. God bless you always.
Amrita, those are beautiful night pictures. The moon look beautiful.
Have a blessed week :)
it was cloudy here!!!! we didn't see it ... though the day before it seemed to be larger than other times ...
(hugs) and blessings on ya!
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