The "Supermoon" officially arrives today at 3 PM Eastern Standard Time when the moon orbits closer to earth than it's been in 18 years. Tonight's views of the moon will be especially neat because the moon's perigee, the closest point in its orbital cycle to the earth, aligns within an hour to when the full-moon actually occurs.
Image credit: Wikimedia
This alignment will not cause any type of natural disasters to fall upon the denizens of our planet, but does provide some spectacular viewing conditions, depending on your weather of course. The moon will be about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons - not that it is all that perceptable to the naked eye.
If you are a photographer, tonight's supermoon will provide a great subject to get started in astrophotography. Beyond Megapixels has some great tips for photographing the moon:
- Use a tripod for stability of your shot
- The longer the lense you have, the better
- Use a remote release, to reduce camera shake
- If you have it, use your mirror lock
Head on over to their site for more information on exposure and other helpful tips.
Even if you aren't going to photograph the moon, tonight's astronomical delight is a perfect time to introduce someone to the wonders of astronomy.