Kids & Family

Saturday's Super Moon

The super moon will appear as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of 2012.

The full moon is often associated with the rising of tides, howling of werewolves and other mythological lore. Even the term lunatic comes from lunar.

Those who fear the inlfuence of the moon may want to lock their doors or not venture too far outside Saturday night because the Moon will appear to be 14 times bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of 2012, according to NASA.

Commonly called the “super moon,” the phenomenon is known to scientists as the “perigee moon.”  The term comes from the elliptical path the moon follows around the Earth and reaches perigee, which is the point closest to the Earth’s center during the orbit. The moon will be about 31,000 miles closer to Earth's orbit than the furthest point of its elliptical orbit, according to NASA.

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From causes not fully understood by scientists, low hanging moons look much larger when viewed through trees and other foreground objects. Come Saturday, this optical illusion will be amplified with a moon that is closer to the Earth to begin with. According to NASA, the moon’s rising orb will indeed seem of super proportions.

To catch a glimpse of the so called “super moon” grab some silver, garlic and your favorite wooden crucifix and try to reach a good vantage point. 

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here