12 December 2008

today's cold moon to be biggest moon in 15 years

Dec. 12, 10:37 a.m. CST — Full Cold Moon; among some tribes, the Full Long Nights Moon. In this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and the nights are at their longest and darkest. Also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long and the moon is above the horizon a long time. The midwinter full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite to the low Sun. The moon will also be at perigee later this day, at 4:00 p.m. CST, at a distance of 221,560 mi. (356,566 km.) from Earth. Very high ocean tides can be expected from the coincidence of perigee with full moon. ~ read more

If the shortening days are getting you down, be sure to catch a glimpse of tonight's striking full moon.

It will appear 14 per cent bigger than usual and a stunning 30 per cent brighter thanks to a rare, natural coincidence.

Each month the moon orbits the Earth and tonight it will skim by at its closest distance for the last 15 years. ~ read more
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