In Search Of The Supermoon
Every August sees the height of the annual Perseid meteor shower. This year, the peak of the display coincided with not just a full Moon, but a supermoon. A supermoon is the term used when the Moon is at one of its closest orbital points to Earth. As the Moon’s orbit doesn’t follow a perfect circle, the distance between Earth and Moon changes throughout the month. A supermoon is a full Moon which is slightly closer to the planet than other full Moons, consequently it looks larger than usual.
Making for the Wiltshire hills last Friday evening, I was fortunate to secure a good vantage point to watch a fine display of nature.
As the Sun set to the west, so the Moon began rising to the east.
The Moon’s ascent came shortly after darkness. As the final daylight from the Sun hit the Earth’s atmosphere, the shorter light waves bounced and were scattered. The longest waves (red) continued through, reflecting off the surface of the Moon, which created an eye catching spectacle.
Moon rise in stages, Friday 12 August 2022
Until, finally, it was risen fully.
Each grey patch is a mare (pronounced mah-rey), which is Latin for sea. Early astronomers thought that the markings were lunar seas, hence the reference. We know now that the marks are hardened larva, the remains of volcanic activity from around one billion years ago.
As a bonus, both Saturn and Jupiter were visible clearly to either side of the Moon. And in spite of the light, the meteor shower produced an impressive display.
There’s something unifying about watching nature. Others had gathered to observe the sky that night. At various points throughout the spectacle, a hush fell. With the final light of the Sun, the emergence of the first stars, the colour of the Moon, and the meteors. When Jupiter appeared, the gas giant which could fit almost 1000 planet Earths inside it, just a speck of light in the sky, I was – again – awestruck at the vastness of our solar system. And beyond that, the Universe!
