In case you weren’t able to watch the video, the big space news this week is the Moon’s perigee, or close proximity to the Earth (yeah, I had to look it up) on Saturday night, March 19. This will make the full Moon appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter. This effect will be amplified as the Moon rises in the east, making it the perfect time to make a moonrise time-lapse or take a night bike ride with your extraterrestrial friend tucked in your front basket. This full moon perigee occurs about once every twenty years, so it’s at least worth a look outside around sunset.
For moonrise times in your location, visit the naval lunar calculator. For the location of the moonrise, visit NASA’s website (note it doesn’t take into account atmospheric refraction). For more info, visit these links:
[NASA – for hard science]
[Fox – for apocalyptic doomsaying]