The twin Viking landers of 1976 were NASA’s first life detection mission, and although the results from the experiments failed to detect life in the Martian regolith, and resulted in a long period with fewer Mars missions, it was not the end of the fascination that the Astrobiology science community had for the red planet. However, the exploration of Mars has been intertwined with NASA’s search for life from the beginning. This is because there are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters, so low-hanging moons can create "moon illusions" which make the Moon appear unnaturally large.įor those wanting to watch the "extra-super Moon", the vice-president of the Astronomical Society of Victoria suggested to Fairfax to head out at dusk on November 14 "to an east-facing beach, or to the top of a hill or mountain with uninterrupted views to the east".Astrobiology is a relatively new field of study, where scientists from a variety of disciplines (astronomy, biology, geology, physics, etc.) work together to understand the potential for life to exist beyond Earth. Secondly, one full moon can look much like any other, NASA said. This is due to two key factors: weather and perception.įirstly, a 30 per cent difference in brightness can easily be masked by clouds or the competing glare of urban lights, so the sky must be clear for people to see the full effect of it. But it is not always easy to tell the difference. Supermoons can be as much as 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than a full moon at its furthest orbital point. "Everyone thinks the orbit of the Moon is a perfect circle - well, it's actually slightly elongated," he said. The distance between the Moon and the Earth varies by about 50,000 kilometres, which creates the effect, according to Dr Brad Tucker from Mount Stromlo Observatory. Why is the moon closer to Earth at some times but not others? Perigee syzygy occurs as the Moon orbits close to Earth and the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. The word syzygy describes when the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up as the Moon orbits Earth, while perigee is the point on the Moon's orbit nearest to Earth. The astronomical community favours the name perigee-syzygy, or perigee moon. Mr Nolle described it as a new or full moon occurring at or near - within 90 per cent of - its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. It was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 in an article for HOROSCOPE magazine. The term supermoon is not an official astronomical name. It is not expected to appear again until November 25, 2034. It will become full just two hours after its closest approach to Earth, arguably making it an "extra-super Moon". The coincidence will take place three times in 2016 - October 16, November 14 and December 14.īut the November supermoon is special because it will be "the closest full moon to date in the 21st century", according to NASA. So-called supermoons happen when a full moon occurs near the time the moon is closest to the Earth in its monthly orbit. Astronomers say stargazers will be treated to one of the best views of the Moon in 70 years.
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