[Alffe]

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Robert Roy Britt
Editorial Director
SPACE.com robert Roy Britt
editorial Director
space.com – Thu Dec 11, 1:45 pm ET
AP – The Moon illuminated in close proximity Venus during a spectacular display of celestial rare phenomenon …



The full moon Friday night will be the biggest one of the year as Earth's natural satellite reaches its closest point to our planet.

Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days. But the orbit is not a perfect circle.

The moon's average distance from us is about 238,855 miles (384,400 km). Friday night it will be just 221,560 miles (356,567 km) away. It will be 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during the year, according to NASA.

Tides will be higher Friday night, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because the moon's closest point to Earth is called perigee. The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.

Some other strange lunar facts:

• The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Eventually it'll be torn apart as an expanding sun pushes the moon back toward Earth for a wrenching close encounter.
• There is no proof the full moon makes people crazy.
• Beaches are more polluted during full moon, owing to the higher tides.

The moon will rise Friday evening right around sunset, no matter where you are. That's because of the celestial mechanics that produce a full moon: The moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth, so that sunlight hits the full face of the moon and bounces back to our eyes.

At moonrise, the moon will appear even larger than it will later in the night when it's higher in the sky. This is an illusion that scientists can't fully explain. Some think it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon vs. stuff overhead.

Try this trick, though: Using a pencil eraser or similar object held at arm's length, gauge the size of the moon when it's near the horizon and again later when it's higher up and seems smaller. You'll see that when compared to a fixed object, the moon will be the same size in both cases

[Burntmarshmallow]

The Moon the Moon the BEAUTIFUL BIG MOON.
That will listen to my many prayers soon.
Tis a huge bright colorful sight
that is dancing in the sky tonight.
Nikki, Mistiis sister, sister Doody and all the moon lovers .. be thinking of you when I look up. Danks Alffe Mom
PEACE
BMW

[pono]

thanks ... wish could've seen but too cloudy

hope others got to witness, see this celestial event...
maybe tonite it will still be close??
will look out tonite ..... hope no clouds in sky or these eyes...

[mistiis]

I hope for you too (((pono))) ....and I thought about you this morning when I saw the moon setting. I had clouds last night too. And I hope the clouds will clear from your eyes....keep living, I know its hard...I will write you later...

[who moi]

it really was beautiful...I drove by the waters and the reflection of the moon over the water had such tranquility about it...

(I was really PO'ed about something and seeing all that helped some...)

for all your LUNAtics...

[Addy]

SNOW blocked the moon... grrrrrrrrrrrr....

2 feet of it and the snowblower won't start! (called landlord and he's coming over soon... and thank goodness I'm moving to a flatter area in 18 days and counting...)


grrrrr.....

glad some of you enjoyed the moon, tho!

xoxox Addy

[who moi]

there...would that do? LOL

[Lara]

I'm a lunatic.

[Brokenfriend]

Originally Posted by who moi

there...would that do? LOL

Wow!!!! Thank you (who Moi) for posting the moon like that. Wow!!! BF

[Lara]

On the 1st of December here, the sky was smiling back at us.
Venus and Jupiter were the eyes and the crescent moon was the mouth.

Just trying to find a picture. I got someone to take photos of it so if they send them to me I'll post them.

Western Australia had better view than we did but it was just amazing to look at indeed.

These ones below are from the Sydney Observatory.
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/?p=1428