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The second opus of the trio of supermoons of this winter, sometimes nicknamed the Super Snow Moon, will culminate today (February 19), so do not forget to go out and watch tonight.
The full moon technically takes place at 10:53 pm EST (15:53 GMT), but do not despair if the morning light is washing the moon at this time: to the naked eye, it will still look like full tonight. In fact, among the three "supermoons" that will begin in 2019, the full moon today will be the biggest of the year.
And it will be a particularly beautiful sight, because the moon is at the perigee just hours before it is full, hence the "super moon"Moniker." It will appear about 10% larger than an average of the full moon because of its relatively close proximity to the Earth, at only 356,761 kilometers (221,681 miles).[[[[What does the "Supermoon" look like (Infographic)]
A so-called super moon appears a fraction larger than a typical full moon.
(Image: © NASA / Goddard / Lunar Recognition Orbiter)
We humans appreciate the full moon because all its near side, half of the moon facing us, is bathed in light. But that means of course that the opposite side of the moon, the far side, lives its night – and on the moon, which lasts about two terrestrial weeks.
During the lunar night on the other side, temperatures can drop as low as minus 310 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 190 degrees Celsius), as the Chinese Chang & # 39; e 4 Lander and Yutu-2 rover learned from their stay on the moon, which began Jan. 3
Both robots to close each night wait for the cold. So tonight, as you look at the full moon, think of the moon's side that you can never see directly and the two machines that work hard for you. solve his mysteries.
Editor's note: If you are capturing an amazing February full moon photo and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments to [email protected].
Email Meghan Bartels to [email protected] or follow her @meghanbartels. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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