Supermoon Watch for August 10th, Predicted for Biggest of the 2014 Followed by Perseids Meteor Shower

 

Supermoon Watch for August 10th, Predicted for Biggest of the 2014 Followed by Perseids Meteor Shower

The second installment of this summer's season of supermoons is happening Sunday, August 10th and is expected to be the brightest of three (July 12, Aug 10 & Sept 9). 

The supermoon occurs when the moon becomes full on the same days as its perigee, which is the point in the moon's orbit when it is closest to Earth.

The August supermoon is one of the largest and brightest full moons of the year. The U.S. Naval Observatory says the moon will be 12% bigger and 30% brighter than it was in January 2014.

People can watch for the annual Perseids meteor shower, which will peak on August 13. Some meteor showers are hard to spot as the moon's light will wash out all but the brightest of Perseids' meteors, according to the International Meteor Organization. If the weather is clear where you are and there aren't any other lights, you should be able to spot a few meteors.

A supermoon, called a "perigee moon," occurs when the moon is full within 24 hours of it being at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit. The August moon will be the biggest and brightest because it occurs just 26 minutes after the moon will be at its closest point to the Earth. 

"The three full moons in a row are close to the moon's perigee and it just so happens that the August one is almost exactly full and at perigee," explained Colin Haig, vice-president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. But Mr. Haig said the difference between a supermoon and a regular full moon is marginal and almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

Supermoons occur approximately every 13 months and 18 days, but the full moon won't be as close to the Earth again in 2014 as it will be this weekend. 

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the brightest showers that lights up the night sky with shooting stars once a year as debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle burns up in Earth's atmosphere. The darker the night sky, the easier the meteors are to spot, but the shower will peak just two days after the supermoon. The still extra-bright moon will be in the sky most of the night, making it harder to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars.

 

 

Tags : Supermoon Supermoon 2014 Supermoon august 10 Supermoon aug 10 Supermoon watch Supermoon watch 2014 perseids meteor shower International Meteor organization full moon biggest moon of the year