February’s closest supermoon of 2019 to light up the sky
Supermoons are substantially brighter than ordinary full moons. In saying this, if you have a clear sky tonight you'll probably notice that the landscape is better lit than usual.
Last year the month of February had no full moon at all, but this year’s February-full moon will be the biggest of the year.
EarthSky explained that from around the world, the moon will look full on both Monday, 18 February and Tuesday, 19 February, but reaches the crest of its full phase on 19 February for much of the world. Although the moon appears full for a few to several nights in succession, the moon is only truly full for a fleeting instant – when the moon lies 180 degrees opposite the sun, from the vantage point of Earth.
What’s a supermoon?
This is a popularised term for what astronomers call a ‘perigean’ full moon. So basically, a supermoon is a full moon near perigee, or closest to Earth for this month. This February’s full moon reaches its exact full phase closer to the time of perigee than any other full moon this year, hence the year’s closest supermoon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuA6fDmgHsv/
Will you be able to discern with your eye that this moon is larger than an ordinary full moon?
Experienced observers say they can, but for most of us the difference is too small for the eye to notice. However, photographic techniques can illustrate the difference.
Supermoons are substantially brighter than ordinary full moons. In saying this, if you have a clear sky tonight you’ll probably notice that the landscape is better lit than usual.
Let us not forget that the moon’s gravity affects earthly tides, and a supermoon pulls harder on Earth’s oceans than an ordinary full moon. This will result in higher tides that tend to follow a day or two after a supermoon.
The bright star that gazers will note accompanying February’s supermoon is none other than Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.
This February full moon ushers in the second in a series of three fullmoon supermoons occurring on January 21, February 19 and March 21, 2019. The full moons of January, February and March 2019 are regarded as supermoons because of their relative nearness to Earth.
The full moon on February 19, 2019, counts as the most “super” of these full supermoons because it’s the full moon that most closely aligns with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt_uEewhDyE/
Read the full article and more awesome content on EarthSky.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 694 6047
The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
