Super Moon on Saturday

Abu Sina · May 3, 2012

The biggest and brightest full moon of the year will grace the skies Saturday night. The "supermoon," which occurs when the moon is nearest Earth in its orbit, will appear only slightly smaller than last year's, which was the brightest full moon in nearly 20 years. It will become full at 11:35pm but there's no need to keep the kids up late to see it, notes USA Today: The best time to view the huge moon will be just after it rises in early evening.

The bright moon is expected to wash out light from the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which peaks Saturday, NASA says. The close approach to Earth will cause the moon to exert 42% more tidal force than usual, an effect that British authorities blamed for the stranding of five ships last year. There is no evidence, however, that supermoons can be blamed for "catastrophes such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and new Justin Bieber CDs," quips astronomer Perry Vlahos at the Sydney Morning Herald.

waltky · May 19, 2013

Bright Explosion On Moon Witnessed Without Telescope...

Bright explosion on moon visible from Earth, NASA says
Sun May 19, 2013 | The explosion was caused by a meteoroid that hit the lunar surface; It was visible on Earth without a telescope; NASA sees hundreds of lunar meteoroid impacts on the moon each year; The meteoroid was traveling 56,000 mph when it banged into the moon

A meteoroid struck the surface of the moon recently, causing an explosion that was visible on Earth without the aid of a telescope, NASA reported Friday. But don't be alarmed if you didn't see it; it only lasted about a second. "It exploded in a flash nearly 10 times as bright as anything we've ever seen before," said Bill Cooke, of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. NASA astronomers have been monitoring the moon for the past eight years, looking for explosions caused by meteoroids hitting the lunar surface. It's part of a program to find new fields of space debris that could hit Earth. NASA says it sees hundreds of detectable lunar meteoroid impacts a year.

Moon blast equal to 5 tons of TNT

None however can match the size of the explosion they say they saw March 17. NASA says the meteoroid was about 40 kilograms and less than a meter wide, and it hit the moon's surface at 56,000 mph. It glowed like a 4th magnitude star, NASA says, thanks to an explosion equivalent to 5 tons of TNT. "It jumped right out at me, it was so bright," said Ron Suggs of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Cooke says Earth was pelted by meteoroids at about the same time, but they hit the moon because it has no atmosphere to protect it. "We'll be keeping an eye out for signs of a repeat performance next year when the Earth-moon system passes through the same region of space," Cooke said.

If you're wondering how there can be an explosion on the moon, without oxygen, NASA has the answer for you. It says the flash of light comes not from any type of combustion -- as we typically think of explosions -- but rather by the glowing molten rock at the impact site.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/18/tech/moon-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
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waltky · Sep 23, 2015

Yea, Uncle Ferd usually goes out howlin' at the moon on Saturday nights...

Rare Supermoon Eclipse Will Be Last Until 2033
September 22, 2015 - In the wake of the popes visit to the United States, a rare and unrelated celestial event will happen in the heavens. Youll see it either Sunday or Monday, depending where you live.

Whats in store is a lunar eclipse, which by itself isnt that uncommon. You might see as many as three of those a year. Whats special is that it coincides with a supermoon, when the moon is closer to Earth than any other time in its orbit. It appears bigger and brighter. The last supermoon and lunar eclipse was in 1982, said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. So well go from being very bright to turning this beautiful red color, the effect of the sunrises and sunsets of the Earth being projected on to the lunar surface, he said.

September 2015 eclipse coincides with a supermoon when the moon appears larger and closer, as in this photo:

Traffic streaks by the supermoon as it rises behind the Memorial Bridge in Washington, Saturday, July 12, 2014. The full moon Saturday may seem huge, but it's just an illusion caused by its position in the sky.

Taking moon's temperature

Petro said its a unique opportunity to measure the surface temperature of the moon. What we see is that surfaces that stay warm longer generally have larger blocks or smaller pebbles and things like that; where surfaces that cool off very quickly have smaller sand-sized particles; and so by measuring how the surface of the moon, the temperature of the surface of the moon changes during an eclipse, we learn about the makeup of the surface of the moon, the structure of the surface," he said. NASA has had its eye on the moon for a long time, beginning with the Apollo program in the 1960's. In more recent years, the space agency has collected data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [LRO] that flies as low as 20 kilometers above the moon's surface.

Petro said LRO discoveries have shown the moon is much more dynamic than previously thought. We are seeing new impact craters that have formed in the six years that we have been there. We are seeing evidence of migrating water across the surface. Not a lot of water, a small amount of water; but still the view that the moon is a static unchanging place is now completely different, he said.

Natural lab for studying Earth's history

Some moon rocks date back 4.5 billion years to the earliest history of our solar system. Petro said that record is almost all gone from the Earth. He said studying the surface of the moon is a natural laboratory for investigation to see what was happening just after the planets formed. When we look at the moon, we are really looking into the deep history of the Earth as well, he said. I think from that we can learn a lot about how our planet has changed and how all planets have changed over time. The supermoon eclipse will be visible Sunday after sunset in North America and all of South America, and before dawn on Monday in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. While the event is rare, scientists can predict it; but your next opportunity to see this celestial wonder won't be until 2033.

http://www.voanews.com/content/rare-supermoon-eclipse-will-be-last-until-2033/2974042.html
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waltky · Sep 27, 2015

Mormons hunker down for apocalyptic supermoon...

'Blood Moon' seen as sign of end times by some Mormons
September 25, 2015 A rare confluence of a lunar eclipse and a supermoon set to happen this weekend has prompted such widespread fear of an impending apocalypse that the Mormon Church was compelled to issue a statement cautioning the faithful to not get caught up in speculation about a major calamity.

Sunday night's "blood moon" and recent natural disasters and political unrest around the world have led to a rise in sales at emergency preparedness retailers. Apocalyptic statements by a Mormon author have only heightened fears among a small number of Mormon followers about the looming end of time. The eclipse will give the moon a red tint and make it look larger than usual. It won't happen again for 18 years. It's unclear how many Latter-day Saints buy the theory, but Mormon leaders were worried enough that they took the rare step this week of issuing a public statement cautioning the faithful not to get carried away with visions of the apocalypse.

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told its 15 million worldwide members that they should be "spiritually and physically prepared for life's ups and downs," but urged them not to take speculation from individual church members as doctrine and "avoid being caught up in extreme efforts to anticipate catastrophic events." The Mormons preparing to hunker down Sunday night aren't alone. Some from other religions also fear a doomsday scenario. A Christian pastor in Texas has written a book predicting a world-shaking event.

Storing away enough food and water in case of disaster, job loss or something worse is part of the fundamental teachings of the religion. Many homes in Utah are equipped with special shelving for cans of beans, rice and wheat. The belief that regular history will someday end, bringing a second coming of Jesus, is embedded in the minds of Mormons and the church's official name. Though most Latter-day Saints probably haven't even heard of this latest theory tied to the blood moon, the church's decision to address it publicly is significant and shows leaders felt the need to reassert their authority on the matter, Mormon scholars said. "For it to filter up to that level means and for them to decide to send out a policy letter means that they felt there was something they needed to tamp down on," said Patrick Mason, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California

Kevin Allbee, spokesman for Utah-based Emergency Essentials, said his company has seen a steady rise since June with sales up 200 to 300 percent. He attributes it to a variety of events leading to more anxiety, including the earthquake in Nepal, Russian's intervention in the Ukraine and economic concerns in Greece and China. He said it goes well beyond Mormons in Utah. They do most of their sales online with customers outside the state. The public pronouncement by the church comes after leaders earlier this month sent a memo to administrators and teachers in the church's education system telling them to be wary of Mormon author Julie Rowe's books.

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waltky · Sep 28, 2015

Granny says, "Dat's right- the Lord gonna bless those who bless Israel an' curse all those who curse Israel...

Fourth Blood Moon: A Blessing and a Warning
Monday, September 28, 2015 -- For the past two years, millions of people worldwide have been fascinated by blood moons from four successive lunar eclipses called a tetrad. Many seen them as a sign God Himself has placed in the heavens.

During a lunar eclipse, the moon turns the color of blood. It's extremely rare to have four blood moons in a row fall during the biblical feasts commanded by the Lord. The last of the tetrad was on display Sunday night in many places around the world. It's the first one visible in Israel, appearing in the pre-dawn hours Monday morning. And like the previous three eclipses, it falls on the first day of a biblical feast, this time the Feast of Tabernacles.

Many who came to Israel to witness the blood moon believe it's a sign of harvest. "But we really sense that the Holy Spirit is coming with a massive harvest, a great awakening, and I believe this red moon is a harvest moon. That's an indicator of a jubilee of jubilees for the souls of man," Cindy Jacobs, with Generals of Intercession, told CBN News. Previous blood moon tetrads -- all falling on Jewish feast days -- have coincided with major events for Israel and the Jewish people. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain and Columbus discovered America, which would become a safe haven for the Jewish people. In 1948, Israel was reborn as a modern nation. And in 1967, Israel recaptured Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.

Bob O'Dell co-authored a book about the blood moons, titled Israel First!. He believes they're a sign of good things ahead for Israel, but perhaps troubling times for nations that come against her. "I personally believe that in the years ahead we will begin to look at Israel in a new way, that these blood moons mark a new phase in the life of Israel," O'Dell told CBN News. "It's no longer about the Israel that is struggling to survive, but now it is about an Israel that is learning to thrive." O'Dell says it will be more than 500 years before four blood moons fall again on the first days of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles.

Source
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Object227 · Sep 28, 2015

Did I forget there was an apocalypse planned for this evening ? Or was that a few days ago? Can't keep track of this stuff

Micketto · Sep 28, 2015

Object227 said: ↑

Did I forget there was an apocalypse planned for this evening ? Or was that a few days ago? Can't keep track of this stuff
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Not sure of any planned apocalypse.

But today is "inane question day" which you obviously remembered.

Micketto · Sep 28, 2015

waltky said: ↑

Granny says, "Dat's right- the Lord gonna bless those who bless Israel an' curse all those who curse Israel...

Fourth Blood Moon: A Blessing and a Warning
Monday, September 28, 2015 -- For the past two years, millions of people worldwide have been fascinated by blood moons from four successive lunar eclipses called a tetrad. Many seen them as a sign God Himself has placed in the heavens.
Click to expand...

Hagee wrote an interesting book on the four Blood Moons also.

Ideal · Sep 29, 2015

I was expecting more from the supermoon, but it was ok. There are some GREAT online pics though.

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