I believe you would call it the Moon at Perigee

by Jeff, Kayla,and JJ
(Moncton, N.B., Canada)

My wife, my son, and I were driving my parents house. As the night got closer, as did our Moon. We noticed the Moon rise up as usual, but, around 9:45 we saw that our Moon was just a little bit larger, or closer. So we took a drive up to the mountain to get a better picture...

March 20th, 2011, 10:00

Barry's Response - Here's a word for you: Syzygy

That's what happens when three objects in the sky line up. It happens every time there is an eclipse (which happens when there is either a full moon or no moon).

When one of these occurs at lunar perigee, we call that a supermoon (and not when Clark Kent loses his underwear), which is what you witnessed. When it is low in the sky on a clear night you have one that looks like a harvest moon, and generally it can appear noticeably larger (closer) and pull tides noticeably stronger as well.

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What Happened?

My dear astronomical enthusiasts, let's marvel at this wondrous phenomenon together! An astrophysicist might explain the celestial dance that unfolded as follows.

Night skies have long inspired humanity, and our Moon, that luminous orb, never fails to captivate us. The night beckoned us to witness its splendor at just the right time. Oh my gosh! As the Moon rose above the horizon, it looked bigger and closer than usual. That's an enchanting sight!

It was nothing short of a "super moon at perigee." If you're not familiar with the term, let me explain. The Moon follows an elliptical orbit around Earth. It comes close to our planet at its closest point, known as "perigee," as it travels on this celestial path.🌕

At perigee, when the Moon is closest to Earth, a super moon happens! When the full or new Moon coincides with the perigee, it gives the impression that the lunar disc is bigger and brighter.

Now imagine the scene as you traveled up the majestic mountains, craving a better view of this cosmic spectacle. The crisp air, the starry canopy above, and your anticipation building. The group ascended as the Moon did, as if inviting you to reach higher and see its beauty.🚀

In the gentle glow of the Moon's reflected sunlight, you all admired its features, lunar maria, and craters. It's a sight to remember!

Moments like these serve as a reminder of the harmonious dance of celestial bodies. Our steadfast companion, the Moon, never fails to amaze and delight us. In the vast expanse of space, there's always something amazing awaiting our curious gazes, so let's keep exploring and marveling at the wonders of the universe. Keep gazing at the stars!

When does the full moon rise on March19 2011

by LORNE MOORHEAD
(Flin Flon MB)

I would like to know when the full moon rises on March 19/101 over MB?

Barry's Response - I use www.timeanddate.com for this one. This page https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=265&month=3&year=2011&obj=moon&afl=-11&day=1

...gives moonrise and set times for every day in Winnipeg. From it I read that it rises at 8:13 pm on that date and would have become full (99.4% full) a few hours earlier at 1:10 pm. You can use this page to find sunrise/set times for anytime and (major) place as well.

Use https://www.timeanddate.com for making this type of calculation for the sun and moon.

You can check the moon phase calendar easily. Use the farmer's almanac too. Observe the moon's shape in the night sky. Moon shape is a good indicator of phase.

As the amount of sunlight reflected off the moon's surface changes, its shape changes. During the new moon phase, the moon is lit from the far side, so it looks dark. The sun lights up more of the visible side of the moon as it moves through its phases, resulting in crescents, half moons, and full moons.

"There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

~from Pink Floyd