The biggest and brightest moon of the year.
If you missed it last year, the super perigee moon is back for an encore performance.Saturday's event is a "supermoon", the closest and therefore the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. The moon will come within about 221,802 miles (357,000km) of Earth, which is about 15,300 miles closer than average.
The annual 'supermoon' looks 14% larger than a normal moon, though astronomers say most people might not notice.
To get the best view, scientists recommend going somewhere as removed from city lights as possible. In Los Angeles, we have various supermoon-watching options, from the Griffith Observatory to guided hikes in the mountains to the Santa Monica ferris wheel.
Super perigee moons happen about once a year on average, but the moon of March 19, 2011, was nearly 250 miles closer than this week's moon, prompting wild calamitous speculations.
When the moon is on the perigee side of its orbit, it's about 31,000 miles closer to Earth than the apogee side. The only effects expected are slightly higher tides and many beautiful photos.
May Full Moon Names From Different Cultures
Frog Moon (Cree).
Ponies shed (Sioux).
Bright moon (Celtic).
Waiting Moon (Hopi).
Mulberry Moon (Greek).
Ninth Moon (Wishram).
Idle Moon (Assiniboine).
Big Leaf Moon (Mohawk).
Panther Moon (Choctaw).
Grass Moon (Neo-Pagan).
Planting Moon (Cherokee).
Corn Planting Moon (Taos).
Little Corn Moon (Natchez).
Green Leaf Moon (Apache).
Corn Weed Moon(Agonquin).
Field Maker Moon (Abernaki).
Blossom Moon (Anishnaabe).
Shaggy Hair Moon (Arapaho).
Green Leaves Moon (Dakota).
Fat Horses Moon (Cheyenne).
Leaf Tender Moon (San Juan).
Hare Moon (Medieval English).
Milk Moon (Colonial American).
Strawberry Moon (Potawatomi).
Hoeing Corn Moon (Winnebago).
Alewive Moon (Passamaquoddy).
Ninth Moon (Dark Janic), Mothers Moon (Full Janic).
Flower Moon, Corn Plant Moon, Milk Moon (Algonquin).
Other Moon names : Frogs Return Moon, Sproutkale Moon, Dyad Moon, Merry Moon, Joy Moon
Full Moonrise
Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Arn
Explanation: Rising as the Sun sets, tonight's Full Moon could be hard to miss. Remarkably, its exact full phase (May 6 03:36 UT) will occur less than two minutes after it reaches perigee, the closest point to Earth in the Moon's orbit, making it the largest Full Moon of 2012. The Full Perigee Moon will appear to be some 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a Full Moon near apogee, the most distant point in the elliptical lunar orbit. In comparison, though, it will appear less than 1 percent larger and almost as bright as April's Full Moon, captured in this telephoto image rising over suburban Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. For that lunation, Full Moon and perigee were about 21 hours apart. Of course, if you manage to miss May's Full Perigee Moon, make a note on your calendar. Your next chance to see a Full Moon close to perigee, will be next year on June 23.
Photo-Credit chika_sight_2
Super moon 2012-05-05 Photo Credit ogawa san
Photo Credit smile_yukiko
Photo Credit smile_yukiko
Photo Credit Dianne White
Priya Kumar in Muscat, Oman. Full moon of May 5, 2012.
Photo Credit mkrajnc
VIDEO SuperMoon 2012
I love the moon,but can not see this site were I live,so thank you for puting this on...............its FAB.
So bright out you think it is daylight =^••^=