Supermoon - Biggest Full Moon of 2012 Occurs This Weekend

Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend. The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5) at 11:35 p.m. 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.

The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon.

And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with full moon this month, but 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 brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, 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 warn. 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 said.

The last supermoon occurred in March 2011.

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 the moon seem even larger than it really is. Note: the Japanese suffered their tsunami during a SuperMoon.

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Comment by Nikki on May 6, 2012 at 4:49pm: The moon was so bright and beautiful all night! I went out periodically until 5am to check it out.

Comment by Nikki on May 5, 2012 at 6:52pm: @Maria, Wow! Popocatetpetl just needed that extra gravitational pull to act up again.

Comment by Maria De Wind on May 5, 2012 at 6:36pm: @ William Cormier

You are right Popocatetpetl spewed a one kilometer high column of Ash Today which is still falling on us amid a heavy thunderstorm yesterday we enjoyed a low intensity but continuos "harmonic" tremor that lasted from 1:30 to 4:30 am.

@Krypke

Guess by Great you didn't mean Too Much ; )

Anyways as it is it will be hard to gaze at anything tonite here

Comment by suzie on May 5, 2012 at 1:38pm: This is just cool.. ;)

Comment by suzie on May 5, 2012 at 12:35am: THE MOON IS A FOREIGN NATION.. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vida_alien/esp_vida_alien_37.htm

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on May 5, 2012 at 12:31am

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on May 5, 2012 at 12:22am

Comment by Maria De Wind on May 5, 2012 at 12:12am: Amazing Moongazing to all, TY for the heads up

Comment by Nikki on May 4, 2012 at 11:56pm: I bet my Celtic ancestors celebrated Beltane.

Comment by William Cormier on May 4, 2012 at 10:58pm: Me too, especially since this is a "Scorpio Full Moon (that) arrives during Beltane (May 1-5), the Celtic earth festival that celebrates the beginning of Summer." Since I'm a Scorpio this is one of my favorites and for those that believe in this sort of thing, it does convey an energy that can be felt in your inner self and those around you can often tell the difference in your attitude, demeanor, and general mood. Absolutely awesome!