Supermoon and Perseid meteor shower to light up night skies
In one of the most dramatic astronomical events of the year, a ‘supermoon’ is to light up the night sky alongside this year’s Perseid meteor shower.
In one of the most anticipated and exciting events of the year for stargazers, the moon will be full on Sunday – known as “perigee” in its orbit which is the point where it is closest to the earth.
At perigee, the moon is 31,000 miles (49,890 km) closer to earth than when it is at its furthest point [apogee]. This happens relatively often, about every 13 months, but is not always visible because of clouds or poor weather. It will make the moon appear 14-30 percent brighter that full moons normally do.
“You can’t really feel that’s its bigger, because there is no point of reference. But as a result you will feel the moon is a lot brighter,” Tony Berendsen, an outreach astronomer and founder of Tahoe Star Tours told ABC News.
The event will coincide with a period during the second week in August when it is common to see more than 100 meteors an hour. Continue reading . . .
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