Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive tonight, Cinco de Mayo, the American heavy-drinking quasi-holiday, which is already prone to a great deal of "lunacy" as the Five Precepts are wantonly violated to the karmic harm of many revelers.
The Moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5, 2012) at 8:35 pm PST (11:35 pm EDT). And because this month's full moon coincides with the Moon's perigee -- its closest approach to Earth -- it will also be the year's biggest.
- Also look for Eta Aquarid meteor shower and Halley's Comet
- Buddhists under a full Moon
- The Blue Moon Buddhist observance
- The Buddha's lunar observance day (uposatha)
The Moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kms) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra big, extra bright celestial object, nicknamed a "super-moon."Its perigee coincides with the full Moon this month [or "moonth," each four week period of 28 days, giving us 28x13=364+1 (reflection day) totaling a real Earth year before the disorienting modern calendar was foisted upon the world].
Moreover, this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the Moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com's skywatching columnist. This happens because the Moon's orbit is not perfectly circular.
This month's full Moon is due to be about 16 percent (send in your photos) brighter than average.
In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28th, the full Moon will coincide with apogee, the Moon's farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full Moon. Though the unusual appearance of this month's full Moon may be surprising to some, there's no reason for alarm, scientists assure.
The slight distance difference isn't enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say. However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the Moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao explained. The last supermoon occurred in March 2011.
How to get a good view
To view this weekend's supermoon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the Moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making it seem even larger than it really is.