The 1st full moon of 2009 is the biggest moon that will appear in the sky this year.
Its what astronomers call a Perigee Full Moon, when the elliptical orbit of the moon brings it 50,000 km nearer to the earth. The last full moon of 2008 in December was also a Perigee Full Moon, which was 14 % wider and 30% brighter than regular full moons.
There are 2 Perigee moons each year, and upon seeing them they often take you by suprise in how different and gorgeous they actually look, even thought the moon is 360,000 km away from the earth. I think at times like these the cosmos wakes us up a little to the beauty and mystery that is constantly around us.
I remember early last year in Playa Del Carmen Mexico, i was standing on the terrace roof of my hotel and happened to see what i thought was a dark cloud drifting over a bright full moon that was shining in the February night sky.
But it was a cloudless night, strange i thought and kept watching. As the night ticked on it turned out that a Total Lunar Eclipse was taking place, and the Yucatan had a full view position.
I quickly phoned a young astronomer i knew on the Rivera Maya who was enthusiastic about all things lunar to tell her to get outside and observe what was unfolding in the night sky.
Such are the wonders on Planet Earth.
Go out tonight and see for yourself.
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