Photos: Supermoon From Around the Globe
Larger-than-normal moon captivates masses around the world.
Around the globe, folks observed the so-called "supermoon." Not impressed? Here's why NASA says the "supermoon" is worth getting out of bed to observe.
This weekend's moon appears 14 percent larger than normal and 30 percent brighter. It happens because the moon orbits the earth in an off-center, oval pattern. Once a year, the moon reaches "perigee," the point when it's closest to the Earth.
View photos of the "supermoon" from Mount Pleasant.
Later in the year, when the moon is the farthest from the Earth, its position is termed apogee.
But some folks doubt whether the moon looked any different Saturday night than it did the rest of the year. That's reasonable, according to the folks at NASA, because 14 percent larger isn't all that noticeable.
"There are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameter," according to a NASA video. "Hanging high over head with no reference points, one full moon can seem just like another."
But if you observe the moon just as it clears the horizon, it's much easier to distinguish the larger size. On Saturday, that initial appearance was obscured by storm clouds in the Charleston area.
Submit your photos of the Supermoon to our Community Gallery.
Bib
12:19 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
Lighten up
Chris Winston
9:51 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
Sorry, Kill Factory, I deleted your comment because it violated our terms and conditions.
You will notice that it does not say the moon orbits the earth once a year. It says that it reaches perigee once a year.