bright moon

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

Mark your calendars for the evening of Dec. 22, 1999!
It is on this date that you will be able to see the
brightest moon of your lifetime!!

This year will be the first full moon to occur on the
winter solstice, Dec. 22, commonly called the first
day of winter. Since a full moon on the winter
solstice occurred in conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in
the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon
will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee
(the point in its elliptical orbit that is farthest
from the Earth).

Since the Earth is also several million miles
closer to the sun at this time of the year than
in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is
about 7% stronger making it brighter. Also, this
will be the closest perigee of the Moon of the year,
since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming.

On December 21st, 1866 the Lakota Sioux took
advantage of this combination of conditions
and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush on
soldiers in the Wyoming Territory.

IN LAYMEN'S TERMS -- that's gonna be one bright
mutha'. If the weather is clear and there is a snow
cover where you live, it is believed that even car
headlights will be superfluous.

It will be 100 + years before human beings
will again have the opportunity to see this!
Unless you plan to be around then, don't mess
up and go to sleep early.