Friday, March 18, 2011

Saturday super moon a natural occurrence

Just in case the unusually large full moon on Saturday night might seem oddly related to current events, and consequently raise anyone's anxiety levels, there is no reason for concern.

A "super moon" is a regular natural occurrence. Every 18 years, the moon passes closer to Earth than at any point in its eccentric elliptical orbit. On Saturday, March 19, it will be 211,567 miles from Earth and will look 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than your average full moon. At its farthest point from Earth, the moon is 252,088 miles away.

If you miss the close encounter on Saturday, you will have to wait until 2029 for another "super moon."

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