Putting on my astronomer hat, as one whose main research focus involves measuring the distance between the Earth and Moon, I feel compelled to “speak out” about the “supermoon” hype that crops up periodically.
Last night’s full moon was touted to be a “supermoon”—larger than normal. As a result, many folks made it a point to watch the Moon rise. I love the fact that people are paying attention to the Moon, getting outside, and enjoying the serene experience of watching the Moon creep over the horizon. What I don’t like is that the hype leads to an overall sense of disappointment in many. Is the campaign a net positive, or a net negative? I don’t know.
In this post, we’ll look at the numbers and see just how special the supermoon is.
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