This August we are blessed with the
brightest Supermoon of 2014.
August’s supermoon will reach her fullness at 1.10pm CDT 18 10 UT on
August 10th 2014. She
will have reached her closest point to earth just a few minutes earlier at
12.44 CDT. The fact that these two phenomena co-incide means that this
supermoon will be a particularly spectacuar event this August. At this point of
perigree she will be just 221,765 miles away from earth, our supermoon won’t be
as close as this again until September 2015.
We have three supermoons this year, the
first was in July, did any of you see it? I didn’t manage it as it was cloudy
here! The third supermoon will be in September. August’s supermoon will be the
most spectacular though, being closest to our earth of the three so will surely
prove to be an event not to be missed. Supermoon’s are on average 14% larger
and 30% brighter but I can’t find a statistic of how much brighter this August
moon will be, she sure will however be a sight not to be missed!
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| Super mini moons astroblogger.com |
The best time to view our wonderful moon
will be just as she rises which will be just after sunset on Sunday. The moon on the horizon always seems to
look larger than when she is is high in the sky, this is because of what is
known as the ‘Ponzo Illusion’
“Most supermoons appear
larger than they really are because of what's called the "Ponzo
Illusion." First put forth in 1913 by Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo, it
holds that the human mind judges the size of an object based on its background.
Most people perceive the horizon as
being farther away than the point straight above their heads. "When the
moon is on the horizon, your brain thinks it’s far away, much farther than when
it’s overhead," writes Phil Plait in his Bad Astronomy blog.
"So the Ponzo Illusion kicks in: Your brain sees the moon as being huge,
and it looks like you could fall into it." http://www.al.com
August’s Supermoon also coincides
with the Perseids meteor shower, her super brightness will mean that the
Perseids may be a little harder to view this year. There will be a lot of
energy however happening in the skies above us. This will be quite a turbulent
and power fuelled time for all of us!
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| Perseids from VEoz.com |
This Supermoon will be in Aquarius.
Although the time of the full moon will be a turbulent one it will bring about
a breaking down of barriers and a releasing of any pent up emotion that needs
to be let go of. Aquarius is an air sign known for shattering perceptions and
breaking rules. You will emerge feeling cleansed and refreshed. Let go of all
that you do not need, break down those walls, you will feel so much better for it.
The August Supermoon is also the
Lunar Lammas falling midway between the summer and Autumn Equinoxes. Lammas or Lughnasadh is a
celebration of the first harvest, of giving thanks for the fruits of our labour
and looking forward to the months ahead.
Our supermoon this August has many
names given to it, it has been called the Grain Moon, Mating Moon, Chokeberry
Moon, Summertime Moon, Corn Moon , Moon when Cherries Turn Black and the Barley
Moon.
One interesting name is the Dog
Day’s moon which refers to the hot days of the late summer in the northern
hemisphere that occur in late July and August. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists
the traditional period of the Dog days as the 40 days beginning July 3rd
and ending august 11th.
The name Dog Days was believed to originate from the ancient Romans and
Greeks who named these days after the star Sirius, the Dog Star, brightest star
in the sky. The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before
or at the same time as sunrise, this was known as a heliacal rising.
Enjoy this Aquarius Supermoon. Pass through this time of turbulence and emerge refreshed at the other end. Hopefully you will have caught a glimpse of some of the wonderful Perseid meteors to light your path along the way!
Supermoon blessings to you, AstarteAlison xxx
I love all the information you give us! I think it's brilliant ;o) Thank you my friend ;o)
ReplyDeleteThis super moon for August was gorgeous!
Big Hugs and many blessings ;o)