Moonoolia’s Post

Supermoons appear slightly larger and brighter than regular Full Moons, although the difference is often subtle and hard to notice with the naked eye.The Full Moon doesn’t only impact people and animals; it also influences the Earth itself. From ancient times, people have used the Full Moon and the lunar calendar to track seasons and time. Native Americans are responsible for the names of the Full Moons that we still use today. These names aren’t just for the actual Full Moon but apply to the entire lunar month. Each Full Moon carries specific energy, affecting our emotions, feelings, and dreams. Since the Moon and the Sun are opposed during this phase, it often brings tension and friction. However, for some, it’s a time of balanced energies.Supermoons: These occur when the Full Moon coincides with or is near its perigee (the point when the Moon is closest to Earth). Here are a few fascinating effects: Ocean Tides: A Full Moon is responsible for bigger ocean tides due to the gravitational pull between the Moon and Earth’s water bodies. These tides can be quite dramatic! Meteorological Conditions: Extreme weather events can occur around the time of a Full Moon. While it’s not entirely understood, some studies suggest a correlation between certain weather patterns and lunar phases.

Tonight + 🌕 = visually 30k miles closer than normal …. Facts about the Super Moon (TONIGHT) What is a Super Moon? A Super Moon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, called perigee. This makes the moon appear larger and brighter than usual. How much bigger and brighter? A Super Moon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon, though the difference can be subtle to the naked eye. Why is it special? The proximity of the moon to Earth during a Super Moon not only enhances its visual size but also increases the brightness of the moonlight, making it a stunning spectacle. Tonight’s Super Moon The August 2024 Super Moon is one of the four Super Moons this year. It's also referred to as the "Sturgeon Moon," a traditional name given to full moons in August by Native American tribes, as this is the time when sturgeon fish were most readily caught. Best time to view The best time to view the Super Moon is just after moonrise or before sunrise when the moon is near the horizon. This is when it appears largest due to the "moon illusion," where the moon looks bigger when close to objects on the horizon. Tidal effects Super Moons also cause higher-than-usual tides, known as "perigean spring tides," which can lead to minor coastal flooding in some areas. Enjoy the spectacular view!

What Would Happen to Earth if the Moon Was Destroyed? Destroying the moon could lead to major changes across Earth. For a starter, the debris released by the explosion would reach Earth’s surface. The big chunks would crash on Earth, while the smaller fragments might end up forming a ring around Earth. With the moon gone, there will be no more eclipses. However, the night sky would look much brighter. The stars will no longer be obscured by the moon’s brightness, and more and more of them will be visible. Although the moon is gone, the length of the day would remain the same. The moon contributes to the length of the day by a small fraction. Without the moon, only a few seconds will be lost in some parts of the world. Because the moon plays a role in the tidal forces around the globe, Earth would experience a 25% drop in tides across the oceans, seas and beaches. The sun will now be in charge of most tides that occur on Earth. Without the moon, the worst scenario would be the dramatic changes in Earth’s axial tilt, which will become unstable. The moon has kept Earth’s axial tilt values between 22.1° and 24.5°. Because the moon would no longer be around, the unstable axial tilt would exceed 45°, leading to major changes in global temperatures. From time to time, the equator would become freezing cold while the poles would become extremely hot. Different parts of the world would experience ice ages every few thousand years.

Sky observations: LLT ( Local legal time) 19: 10. The sky is partially clouded. The clouds move from S- W. No wind at the Earth surface. Moon rised. m= 0; Phase 60%, A= +38°, H ( height above Horizon) = 26°; At LLT 20:00 There are no visible clouds in the vicinity of the Moon. The Moon is surounded by a double yellow halo. The first halo have a radius of ~ 1 °, while the second ~ 1,5°. I suppose, that the first halo is due to Lunar dust. The origin of the second halo is unknown, but We could hypothesise about very thin almost invisible and very high clouds ( ???). Polar star can be observed from the 5- th step at the entrance to the house. This means that the Polar Star move to East from its mean position. At LLT 20: 45, the smaller halo radius decreases to 0,8°. t=+13°C. At ~ LLT 2:20 Moon set. Note: When the Moon enters completely in a clouded region of the sky, obviously one observe colored haloes around. The colors vary from orange to violete, sometimes also could be red.

Will the one thing saving us from climate change eventually kill us all? ☠️ This Halloween, don’t be haunted by just ghosts and vampires... 👻 While solar energy is our best chance at survival, the sun isn’t just a friend. 🌕 In time, it might spell our doom - even while it keeps us alive! Here are some scary truths about the sun scientists don't want you to know... 🥵 Our Sun is stable for now, but it's slowly getting brighter—eventually enough to start evaporating our water supply, boiling the oceans dry and “bleeding” water from our atmosphere until Earth becomes unbearably hot and barren. 🪦 The Sun’s inevitable death: in the end, the Sun will expand into a red giant and swallow up Earth. When the Sun dies, so will our planet. 🔥 Solar flares and coronal mass ejections: these phenomenons can disrupt electronics, GPS, and power grids, potentially causing widespread outages. ⚡ Coronal holes allow solar wind to escape, leading to geomagnetic storms that can damage satellites and pose serious risks for astronauts in space. 🧲 Geomagnetic Storms: In 1859, a massive solar storm known as the Carrington Event hit Earth, causing intense geomagnetic disturbances - so strong that the Northern Lights were visible as far as Hawaii, and telegraph systems sparked and caught fire. If a similar event happened today, it could paralyze modern life for years. ⚰️ Lastly, perhaps the most likely risk in our lifetime: the silent, invisible danger of UV radiation, powerful enough to cause skin cancer, cataracts, and weaken immune systems. So although the sun is both our savior and our endgame, let's harness its power wisely while we can... Happy Halloween ✨ Credits: NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration (photo) & Listverse #Halloween #scary #solarpower #solarpv #climatechange

Why does the Moon "follow" us when we drive? As we rush down the road, we notice how everything flies past us in the opposite direction: trees, houses, fences, the road. And from the Moon, too, we expect it to fly past us, or at least go backwards the farther forward we go. When it doesn't, we feel as if it is "following" us. The Moon may not seem to be very far away from us, but the average distance from it to Earth is 384,400 km. This enormous distance explains why, when we drive a car and look at the Moon, it seems as if it is following us. Compared to the distance our car travels in a few minutes, this distance is enormous. So as we drive, the angle at which we see the moon remains virtually unchanged. And while everything flies past us, there is a sense that the Moon is "following" us.

Here is a 2nd fascinating fact about the Moon: 🌕 Gravity Difference: The gravity on the Moon is about one-sixth of that on Earth. This means that objects weigh less on the Moon compared to Earth. For example, if you weigh 60 kilograms (approximately 132.28 pounds) on Earth, you would weigh only about 10 kilograms (approximately 22.05 pounds) on the Moon. #moon #moonfacts #moonfascination #moonlove

2024 December 20 The Long Night Moon Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer and Dario Giannobile (Pictores caeli) On the night of December 15, the Full Moon was bright. Known to some as the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon, it was the closest Full Moon to the northern winter solstice and the last Full Moon of 2024. This Full Moon was also at a major lunar standstill. A major lunar standstill is an extreme in the monthly north-south range of moonrise and moonset caused by the precession of the Moon's orbit over an 18.6 year cycle. As a result, the full lunar phase was near the Moon's northernmost moonrise (and moonset) along the horizon. December's Full Moon is rising in this stacked image, a composite of exposures recording the range of brightness visible to the eye on the northern winter night. Along with a colorful lunar corona and aircraft contrail this Long Night Moon shines in a cold sky above the rugged, snowy peaks of the Italian Dolomites. 🔗Discuss | ℹ️About APOD 🎞High Resolution

Our Moon is indeed special in being tidally locked to Earth, meaning we only see one side of it. This tidal locking is a result of the Moon's relatively large size (about 1/4 the diameter of Earth) compared to other moons in our solar system. The moons of Mars, for example, are minuscule in comparison. The Moon plays a crucial role in driving the tides of Earth's oceans through its gravitational pull. This tidal force causes the regular ebb and flow of ocean waters, preventing them from becoming stagnant like the Dead Sea. The churning motion created by the tides is vital for circulating nutrients, oxygen, and marine life throughout the oceans. Moreover, the Moon's cycles, particularly the full moon phase, have a significant impact on Earth's weather patterns, influencing rainfall, monsoons, and other meteorological phenomena. The Moon acts as a natural defence, occasionally taking hits from wayward asteroids and protecting Earth from potential impacts. Importantly, the Moon's gravitational influence and stabilizing effect on Earth's axial tilt are believed to have played a key role in making life on our planet possible. The tides and stable climate facilitated by the Moon's presence likely aided the development and sustenance of life on Earth over billions of years. So while the Moon's tidally locked rotation may seem strange, it is a consequence of its unique size and proximity to Earth. This special relationship has profoundly shaped our planet's environment, oceans, weather systems, and perhaps even the very origin and evolution of life itself. Iqbal Latif