Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mant thanks Ted... Jim At 04:15 PM 12/12/99 -0800, Ted Grant wrote: >Hi folks, > >For all you moon shooters here's something that might make for some wild >eyed moon pictures. > >================================= > >This year will be the first full moon to occur on the winter solstice, >December 22nd, commonly called the first day of winter. > >Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurs in conjunction with a lunar >perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon will >appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in it's elliptical >orbit that is farthest from the Earth). Since the Earth is also several >million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer, >sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making it brighter. Also, >this will be the closest perigee of the Moon of the year since the moon's >orbit is constantly deforming. If the weather is clear and there is a snow >cover where you live, it is believed that even car headlights will be >superfluous. On December 21st, 1866, the Lakota Sioux took advantage of >this combination of occurrences and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush >on soldiers in the Wyoming Territory. > >In laymen's terms it will be a super bright full moon, much more than the >usual AND it hasn't happened this way for 133 years! > >Our ancestors 133 years ago saw this. Our descendants 100 or so years from >now will see this again. > >Remember this will happen December 22, 1999..... >... > >Ted Grant >This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler. >http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant >