A "supermoon," will take center stage when it rises this weekend on April 5th, and may interfere with the peak of an annual meteor shower created by the leftovers from Halley's comet.
The supermoon of May 2012 is the biggest full moon of the year and will occur on Saturday May 5 at 11:35 p.m. EDT (0335 May 6), though the moon may still appear full to skywatchers on the day before and after the actual event. At the same time, the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will be hitting its peak as well.
A supermoon occurs when the moon hits its full phase at the same time it makes closest approach to Earth for the month, a lunar milestone known as perigee. Scientists also refer to the event as a "perigee moon."
That's exactly what will happen on Saturday, when the moon will swing within 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) of Earth, its closest approach of the entire year. Because the moon's orbit is not exactly circular, there is a 3-percent variation in its closest approaches to Earth each month. The average Earth to Moon distance is about 230,000 miles.
With May's full moon timed with the moon's perigee, it could appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012.
The last supermoon was in March 2011. At the time, it was the biggest and brightest full moon in 18 years.
The eta Aquarid display is one of two meteor showers created by dust from Halley's comet (the Orionid shower in October is the other). It occurs every April and May when the Earth passes through a stream of debris cast off by comet Halley during its 76-year trip around the sun.
The eta Aquarid meteor shower of 2012 actually began on April 19 and ends on May 28, but its peak is in the overnight period between Saturday and Sunday of May 5 and 6.
The supermoon of May 2012 is the biggest full moon of the year and will occur on Saturday May 5 at 11:35 p.m. EDT (0335 May 6), though the moon may still appear full to skywatchers on the day before and after the actual event. At the same time, the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will be hitting its peak as well.
A supermoon occurs when the moon hits its full phase at the same time it makes closest approach to Earth for the month, a lunar milestone known as perigee. Scientists also refer to the event as a "perigee moon."
That's exactly what will happen on Saturday, when the moon will swing within 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) of Earth, its closest approach of the entire year. Because the moon's orbit is not exactly circular, there is a 3-percent variation in its closest approaches to Earth each month. The average Earth to Moon distance is about 230,000 miles.
With May's full moon timed with the moon's perigee, it could appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012.
The last supermoon was in March 2011. At the time, it was the biggest and brightest full moon in 18 years.
The eta Aquarid display is one of two meteor showers created by dust from Halley's comet (the Orionid shower in October is the other). It occurs every April and May when the Earth passes through a stream of debris cast off by comet Halley during its 76-year trip around the sun.
The eta Aquarid meteor shower of 2012 actually began on April 19 and ends on May 28, but its peak is in the overnight period between Saturday and Sunday of May 5 and 6.
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