super full moon

[David Marx <dtmarx@SIU.EDU>]

I thought the list would like this forwarded tidbit.  Enjoy.

> > This year will see the first full moon occur on the winter solstice, Dec. 22,
> > commonly called the "first day of winter".
> >
> > Because a full moon on the winter solstice will occur in conjunction with a
> > lunar perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon
> > will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in it's
> > elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth). Because the Earth is also
> > several million miles closer to the sun a this time of the year than in the
> > summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making it brighter.
> > Also, this will be the closest perigee of the Moon of the year because the
> > moon's orbit is constantly deforming.
> >
> > If the weather is clear and there is a snow cover where you live, it is
> > believed that even car headlights will be superfluous.
> >
> > On December 21st 1866, the Lakota Sioux took advantage of this combination of
> > occurrences and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush on soldiers in the
> > Wyoming Territory.
> >
> > In laymen's terms, it will be a super bright full moon, much brighter than
> > usual AND it hasn't happened this way for 133 years! Our ancestors 133 years
> > ago saw this. Our descendants 100 or so years from now will see this
> > again (if
> > the world is still here).
> >
> > I hope you find this interesting! Remember this will happen December 22,
> > 1999.
> > Take a look at the sky that evening.