A “Supermoon” over Wichita might just provide some free family fun. This Saturday evening, the full moon coincides with perigee, the point in its orbit when it is closest to earth.
“Super perigee moons are actually fairly common,” explains Dr. Tony Phillips in an article for Science@NASA. The 2012 Supermoon is getting plenty of press, however, and can make for a fun, “teachable moment.”
The moon will appear larger and brighter in the night sky, but whether or not the result will be as dramatic as the photo is not clear. According to NASA, the most likely time to see a spectacularly large moon is when it’s close to the horizon, so around the time it is rising or setting. A couple of sources I found say the moon will rise at 8:17 p.m. on Saturday evening and set at 5:52 a.m. Sunday morning, so if I understand it right, those would be the best times this weekend to look up. (I’m sure my science and/or weather expert friends could offer some illumination on the matter.)
Meanwhile, here’s a great video from NASA explaining the Supermoon phenomena.
More skywatching fun: International Space Station Visible Over Wichita This is a post from about two years ago that was quite popular. The links in the post still work and take you to a website that lets you find out when the Space Station and other satellites will be visible over Wichita.
One Response
There’s a video in the post you can watch that explains it pretty well, but I know I have science teachers and weather buffs reading, so feel free to add your thoughts!