Super "Supermoon"

Get ready for yet another supermoon, except this one promises to be closer and larger. In the days ahead the moon will start to get a little bigger as it makes its closest approach to earth since 1948. Back then a gallon of gas cost 16 cents!! The supermoon will hit its peak on Monday November 14th at 8:52 am. Weekend viewing will be very good as skies should remain mostly clear.

This supermoon will appear 16% larger and shine 30% brighter than when its at its furthest point from earth. This is because the moon will be at its closest approach during it's elliptical orbit around the Earth. This close approach is known as the perigee. When a full moon coincides with perigee, it can seem bigger and brighter and that's what we will see this Monday.

To give you a better idea of what we are talking about, the moon orbits the earth in an oval pattern. There are parts of the year when it is closer to us (perigee) and times when its farther away (apogee). This weekend it will be at the closest point to us.  

 

 The local NWS office says we may get more coastal flooding due to extra high, high tides due to the closer moon:

THE APPROACH OF THE FULL MOON EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL BRING INCREASING 
TIDAL HEIGHTS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND. IF TIDAL 
DEPARTURES CONTINUE ABOVE NORMAL, MINOR COASTAL FLOODING MAY BE 
POSSIBLE WITH HIGH TIDES.