Scientists: get ready for ‘supermoon’ Saturday

GlobalPost

Take a walk in the moonlight on Saturday and you'll soak up 30% more moonbeam than normal, according to information provided by NASA on this weekend's "supermoon" event. 

The moon will come closer to the sun than normal "due to it's egg-shaped orbit," explained the Telegraph, saying the 14%-bigger moon coincides with a full moon only once a year. 

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The LA Times said the event is scheduled for 11:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

NASA is so excited about it that it's released a special video for the event. "The swollen orb rising in the East at sunset will seem super indeed," the LA Times cited the video as saying, adding light-heartedly, "[t]his doesn't sound like a super moon — it sounds like a super duper moon."

The term "supermoon" came out of the 1970s is often associated with paranoia and fears of impending natural disasters, said the Telegraph. Astronomers say such claims have zero scientific backing. 

The moon change should be visible to the naked eye, Dr. Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society told the Telegraph. "You will notice that the moon looks significantly bigger than usual," he said, explaining that it is caused by "a slightly wider tidal range than normal."

Cool. So check it out on Saturday, but be sure to "catch a glimpse of the super moon when it's most likely to appear maxed out — just as it's rising," the LA Times advised, unable to resist adding: "This full moon should leave you at least 14% more impressed."

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