Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Jan 29, 2014 22:13:04 GMT -6
Black Moon/SuperMoon
30 January 2014
(or...more Nonsense to dismiss)
(or...more Nonsense to dismiss)
As great as the internet is promoting Astronomy and science.....it's also a sponge for non-sense and outright ignorant content. There always seems to be some idiocy about Mars...."As big as the Moon" or the "Belt of Orion" aligning with the Pyamids....making it's regular annual appearance in social media - especially Facebook. This of course, is total fiction...and all good Astronomers do their best to dismiss and stop this unfounded rumor...as well as as these new ones.
There is this first one - Another SUPERMOON. This one on Jan 30, 2014.
What it fails horribly to demonstrate, is that January 30th 2014 is a New Moon....not a Full Moon.
"SuperMoons" in fact, are not anything all that great....
The size differential is not all that noticeable by the naked eye. The above illustration demonstrates an average size difference between the Moon at it's farthest (Apogee) and closest (Perigee). Interesting for Astronomers, but nothing to write home about or anything special.
Fail.
Which brings us to this next one...
There is this first one - Another SUPERMOON. This one on Jan 30, 2014.
What it fails horribly to demonstrate, is that January 30th 2014 is a New Moon....not a Full Moon.
"SuperMoons" in fact, are not anything all that great....
The size differential is not all that noticeable by the naked eye. The above illustration demonstrates an average size difference between the Moon at it's farthest (Apogee) and closest (Perigee). Interesting for Astronomers, but nothing to write home about or anything special.
Fail.
Which brings us to this next one...
Take a moment to read it thru.
Now, there are indeed two New Moons in this month....but not a rare occurrence. The next statement is utter trash and in error - "appearing in the sky, bigger than normal". One cannot view a new Moon - as it lies in between the Sun and the Earth - hidden in the glare of the Sun. The only time one can view the Moon in this configuration...is during a solar eclipse....and there is not one scheduled for the 30th.
In fact, we will have five "Supermoons" in 2014: two January new moons, and the full moons of July, August and September. Now, there is a little fact swimming among the bogus statements. The January 1 moon is new at 11:14 UTC. The January 1 perigee happens around 21:00 UTC and brings the moon second-closest for this entire year at 221,782 miles away (356,923 km).
The January 30 new moon comes at 21:38 UTC. The January 30 perigee happens about 12 hours earlier and brings the moon about 221,000 miles away (357,080 km).
So, if you see this utter nonsense posted on social media outlets, be good Chicago Astronomers and post the facts.
Now, there are indeed two New Moons in this month....but not a rare occurrence. The next statement is utter trash and in error - "appearing in the sky, bigger than normal". One cannot view a new Moon - as it lies in between the Sun and the Earth - hidden in the glare of the Sun. The only time one can view the Moon in this configuration...is during a solar eclipse....and there is not one scheduled for the 30th.
In fact, we will have five "Supermoons" in 2014: two January new moons, and the full moons of July, August and September. Now, there is a little fact swimming among the bogus statements. The January 1 moon is new at 11:14 UTC. The January 1 perigee happens around 21:00 UTC and brings the moon second-closest for this entire year at 221,782 miles away (356,923 km).
The January 30 new moon comes at 21:38 UTC. The January 30 perigee happens about 12 hours earlier and brings the moon about 221,000 miles away (357,080 km).
So, if you see this utter nonsense posted on social media outlets, be good Chicago Astronomers and post the facts.