Last supermoon occurred on March 19th 2011
What exactly is a “supermoon” or a “super full moon?” Regular full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon’s orbit. The orbit around the Earth is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000km closer to Earth than the other (apogee). The supermoon occurs when a full moon occurs at perigee. This will happen this Saturday night May 5th. The “Cinco De Mayo” celebration in Mexico and in parts of the United States also occurs this evening with a celebration marking history and a celebration with traditional foods.
What makes this full moon different?
Perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon’s orbit. This is due to the moon being closer to the Earth at perigee instead of apogee.
What affect does this have?
Tides are affected by moon phases. However, according to the NOAA, there should be little effect worse than a few inches or so on local tides. There is a neat video from youtube above attached to this web story that explains what a super full moon is and what it can do. There are some people who think full moons and super full moons can cause havoc and chaos. According to multiple sources, the moon cannot directly cause earthquakes or other natural disasters.
When does the moon rise and set on May 5th and what are the details of this full moon?
• The moon will rise in Syracuse at 8:05pm May 5th, just before sunset.
• The moon will be at perigee (closest to the Earth) at 11:34pm.
• The moon will become technically a “full moon” at 11:35pm.
Will the weather cooperate to see the super full moon?
Even though Saturday morning will probably start out quite overcast and cloudy, eventually, some breaks in the clouds should develop later in the afternoon. At the very latest, stubborn cloud coverage could hang on over some areas through 5-8pm. However, clearing skies should occur around the time the sun sets and the moon begins to rise. By 11:35pm, there is a good chance skies should be clear enough to view the super full moon. At this point, it appears that temperatures will be in the upper 40s to lower 50s at 11:35pm.
Here are some pictures of the last supermoon on March 19th, 2011. If you view this Saturday’s supermoon, please post pictures on CNYcentral’s Facebook page!
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