November 14 – 27, 2016
Mt. Washington — If you’re waiting to open your Edge between 5 a.m. and around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, the 14th, seize the moment to look to the west to be bowled over by the sight of the closest full moon in over half a century. Whether from a window or your favorite location for viewing sunsets that are slightly north of west, as in late August, the earlier you get there the longer you’ll have to delight in this particularly rare perigean full moon, popularly known as a supermoon. Luna sets at 6:26 a.m. on the 14th. Timing is dependent upon what obstructions – hills, buildings – might stand between you and the horizon. The sun rises at 6:43: take care to wear a reflective garment when walking roads in darkness or dim light.
Image courtesy of SkyandTelescope.com.
The precise moment when November’s Frost, Snow or Beaver Moon attains full phase is 8:52 a.m. on the 14th, 2 hours 26 minutes after setting. In the evening, the full moon climbs above the east-northeast horizon at 5:06 p.m., 8 hours 14 minutes after reaching full phase. Facing east in my hilly environment, Luna won’t clear the ridge until about 6 p.m. Next morning, Tuesday the 15th, it’s worth looking again for the setting moon, which occurs at 7:39 a.m., over an hour later than on the 14th.
Luna’s orbit around the earth is not a perfect circle. Its closest approach is known as perigee and its furthest apogee. According to Space.com’s Joe Rao, “On Monday (Nov. 14) at 6:15 a.m. EST, the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in 2016: a distance of 221,524 miles (356,508 kilometers) away. This distance, which is measured from the center of the Earth to the center of the moon, is within 85 miles (137 km) of the moon’s closest possible approach to Earth; to be sure, this is an extreme perigee….. [It is the closest since January 26, 1948. J.I.] The moon won’t approach this close again until 2034.”
Image courtesy of SkyandTelescope.com
Viewing the moon close to the horizon, either rising or setting, is the most dramatic time to see it in any phase and at any time in its orbit. The optical effect, known as moon illusion, occurs when the moon is seen behind distant objects on the horizon. When seen high in the sky, most observers will not perceive that a perigee full moon is 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than a moon at apogee. That said, witnessing a perigean full moon climb above the horizon is breathtaking and unforgettable.
Every morning for the duration of this post, along with a morning moon, find bright planet Jupiter about 30 degrees above the southeast horizon at dawn and brilliant Venus above the southwest horizon at dusk. The Leonid meteor shower peaks on the 17th; find details at http://main.slooh.com/event/leonid-meteor-shower-in-2016/
Opportunities to participate:
Astronomer Bob Berman and company
November 13: http://main.slooh.com/event/mega-beaver-moon/
November 17: http://main.slooh.com/event/leonid-meteor-shower-in-2016/
Schedule of shows: http://main.slooh.com/live-schedule/
Resources:
Moon and stargazing resources, pre-holiday sale http://earthskystore.org/
http://www.space.com/34660-closest-supermoon-full-moon-in-69-years-forecast.html