Prepare for an epic supermoon this week
Moon myth busters – 5 facts about the supermoon
On Wednesday, 31 January, the moon will be full. This is also called a Supermoon, or blue moon. The moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated.
This phase occurs at 1.27pm UTC (coordinated Universal Time). Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. This is also the last of the two supermoons for 2018. The moon will be at its closest to the earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
For more lunar activity, visit The Sky at
https://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-photos.html
Here are five myths about the supermoon:
1. The moon is bigger/ closer than usual
It’s actually just an optical illusion that fools our eyes into thinking that it’s bigger. The moon appears bigger during moonrise, because we compare it to the smaller buildings on the horison in front of it.
2. Humans didn’t land on the moon
There are more than a few questions surrounding the first moon landings, partly because of the bad first moon landing footage, the seemingly scripted quote of Neil Armstrong: “One small step for man…” and the race between Russia and the United States to get up there.
There are claims that the first photos were doctored and that technology wasn’t advanced enough for the ship to reach the moon. Whatever you believe, this is still an unresolved myth.
3. The supersmoon can cause natural disasters
People believe that the moon moves closer to the earth and because it controls factors of oceanic weather because of it’s gravitational pull, it can cause natural disasters.
Data taken from hundreds of natural disasters over the years have showed that disasters happen even when the moon isn’t full, or even closer.
4. The moon can cause mental illness/ mad people
Studies have proven that there is no connection between moon phases and mental health. There have been countless studies about the effect of moon phases on health issues, births, deaths, suicides, and mental illness – and none of them showed any connection between them.
5. The moon doesn’t have gravity
Because astronauts jump further, and look like they’re flying while on the moon, many people believe the moon has no gravity. But, this is just a myth because scientists have proven that anything with a mass has gravity. The strength of the gravity depends on its mass. Because the moon is smaller than the earth, the gravity is less.
For more facts about the supermoon, visit Space.com at https://www.space.com/30632-moon-myths-supermoon-lunar-eclipse-myths.html or Khaleej Times at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/others/five-myths-and-facts-about-supermoon
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