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Supermoon alert

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    Biggest full moon of 2012

  • Duration 2:46
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-- the -- is going to come into a very close pass passed to another celestial body we're talking about the moon.

The largest full moon of the year will grace our skies Saturday night you'll pass a -- 221000.

Miles from earth.

Derrick -- the Franklin institute planetarium is chief astronomer.

Joins us now with an -- I always assume that the moon's orbit was circular but I guess it's a little bit oval on there.

Yes it is it's all will John because it's -- what that means is that there are periods when the moon is closer to the earth and others say it's called -- -- -- -- this close pass and then there's a more distant past called Apogee so tomorrow night we have a convergence of the full moon.

And carriages.

I looked up the time when -- moon rise hits here on the East Coast at least it's around 746750.

One it's coming up through the horizon it's gonna look mode just above the horizon it's gonna look really but it isn't.

Yes it well and this is a very interesting optical illusion.

We often think that the reason why the moon looks larger is because maybe the atmosphere is magnifying it somehow and in this case people are thinking that it looks bigger because it's a little bit closer to earth.

But it's actually this optical illusion of seeing the moon.

Mere objects of known size on the horizon that makes it appear larger you can measure written see that it is about.

So it's really just the same size as it would be if it were in a noon position.

If you were to take a -- -- John and measure the height of the moon or the size of the moon on the horizon.

And then measure the moon again when it's almost directly overhead you'd find out that it's exactly the same size and there are some folks who were saying that we could be in for all kinds of problems earthquakes and -- like any truth to that.

Well here's something to consider you know the moon is only going to be about 3% closer to the earth and the gravitational effect that that has.

May affect some tides but only to the tune of about maybe an inch or so difference in height.

So in reality the pull of the moment it's not gonna have that great an effect on any thing for volcanic eruptions or earthquakes or any of those sorts of things.

I think it's gonna be the connection between the -- -- effect.

And Cinco De Mayo that causes the most interesting top cops -- self 3% -- larger but 16% brighter I understand it's gonna be really cool look the best place to see it.

The best -- to -- it is outside anyplace you can get that gives -- a good view of the -- preferably -- around the horizon at the time it -- that'll be the greatest effect but that actual effect coinciding.

Of the two events is at 1130 at night.

You'll still be able to see the moon then -- I'll be out there howling.

All right Derrick Pitts thanks here.

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