Bark @ The Moon

[The Iceman 6]

Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.


This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.


But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here's how the moon works:


The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth. The moon's orbit around Earth – which causes it to go through all its phases once every 29.5 days – is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. One side of the orbit is 31,070 miles (50,000 km) closer than the other.


So in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.


Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full Moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com.


As a bonus, Mars will be just to the left of the moon tonight. Look for the reddish, star-like object.


Full moon craziness


Many people think full moons cause strange behavior among animals and even humans. In fact several studies over the years have tried to tie lunar phases to births, heart attacks, deaths, suicides, violence, psychiatric hospital admissions and epileptic seizures, and more. Connections have been inclusive or nonexistent.


The moon does have some odd effects on our planet, and there are oodles of other amazing moon facts and misconceptions:

A full moon at perigee also brings higher ocean tides. This tug of the moon on Earth also creates tides in the planet's crust, not just in the oceans.
Beaches are more polluted during full moon, owing to the higher tides.
In reality, there's no such thing as a full moon. The full moon occurs when the sun, Earth and the moon are all lined up, almost. If they're perfectly aligned, Earth casts a shadow on the moon and there's a total lunar eclipse. So during what we call a full moon, the moon's face is actually slightly less than 100 percent illuminated.
The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 cm) a year.

The moon illusion


Finally, be sure to get out and see the full moon as it rises, right around sunset. Along the horizon, the moon tends to seem even bigger. This is just an illusion.


You can prove to yourself that this is an illusion. Taking a small object such as a pencil eraser, hold it at arm's length, and compare its size to that of the moon just as it rises. Then repeat the experiment later in the night and you'll see that the moon compares the same in both cases. Alternately, snap two photos of the moon, with a digital camera or your cell phone, when the moon is near the horizon and later when it's higher in the sky. Pull both photos up on your computer screen and make a side-by-side comparison.


Astronomers and psychologists agree the moon illusion is just that, but they don't agree on how to explain it.

[PRBuzz]

I'm howling..........tonight

[DZ]

Guess I won't be casting tonight.

DZ

[FishermanTim]

I'm glad I didn't shave today,....or yesterday..... or since last month!
I grow my face each January for the ice fishing season, for added insulation for the face.

Hooooowwwwlllll !!!!!!!!

[Backbeach Jake]

The moon looked HUGE on the horizon during my evening commute tonight. All I could think of was white needles....

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

The moon looked HUGE on the horizon during my evening commute tonight. All I could think of was white needles....

be a might bit chilly on the backside tonight Fred...

just back from a QUICK walk with the dog thru the paths in the State Park... and you could read a book back there it is so bright...

[Nebe]

Went for a quick marsh walk and scooped up some wild oysters at dead low.... 19 degrees and high winds..... Brrrrrrrr!
Very low tide today with the WOLF M00N!!!!!!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Dick Durand]

I couldn't get over how low the tide was today . . . good day to scout the shoreline, if it weren't so darn cold. I saw the tops of rocks I never knew existed. After running the dog on the beach for a few minutes, I had to walk into a gale force on my way back to the car.

[Crafty Angler]

On my way by the beaches this afternoon it was the lowest low tide I've seen in a long time - couln't believe some of the features that were fully exposed

Planned to take a ride around the Drive but ran out of daylight - but I definitely will at low tomorrow

Pretty impressive moonrise tonight too

[Backbeach Jake]

I checked the tides for where I fish, lowest of the year...pity...
May I suggest going to your spots and mapping the rocks and structure that you've never seen before? Use those maps come the season.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

...May I suggest going to your spots and mapping the rocks and structure that you've never seen before? Use those maps come the season.

Getting out for a walk at low in the winter is a great way to help fend off the the shack nasties too

Wind chill is gonna be a little tough tomorrow from what I hear, -10 or so...

[robc22]

Big moon.....Big tide.......

[Team rock]

Your rite nice moon and so clear, good heads up!

[Slipknot]

ya that's all well and good and interesting
but why is it so freakin cold outside? I thought there was global warming or something, can't the moon warm us up? my heat bill is gonna croak me

[PRBuzz]

HELP, I'm starting to feel a little strange (or at least stranger than normal), what's happening to me??