Biggest full moon in 15 years

[*Robert* 2]

It's hard to get good pictures with a digital camera. It just looks like a smeared blob of light...

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm out the door in a few minutes, but no darn camera. Roi... if you could... PLEASE, try to get some beachfront shots at some point.

We'll see when I get home to maybe hit the road for a nice night out somewhere in the city.

Good weekend to all.

[Imua 0]

If the full moon tonight looks unusually large, it is not your imagination – it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years.

Each month the Moon makes a full orbit around the Earth in a slightly oval-shaped path, and tonight it will swing by the Earth at its closest distance, or perigee. It will pass by 356,613km (221,595 miles) away, which is about 28,000km closer than average.

The unusual feature of tonight is that the perigee also coincides with a full moon, which will make it appear 14 per cent bigger and some 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year – so long as the clouds hold off from blocking the view.

...

Tonight's full moon is also notable for rising to its greatest height in the night sky for the entire year, lying almost overhead at midnight. This is because we are approaching the winter solstice, on December 21, and thanks to the tilt of the Earth the Moon appears at its highest, as the Sun is at its lowest.

Another astronomical treat that could be seen tonight and for the next two nights is the annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the year's best displays of shooting stars. Up to 100 meteors an hour can fly across the sky. The meteors, which are easy to spot with the naked eye, appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini, hence their name, but they can be seen all over the sky. However, with a full moon so bright, the best place to look is away from the Moon.

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Source

And I get to see three of them!!!! Seriously, one of the nifty visual effects of my cataract is double and sometimes triple vision when looking at light sources like LED displays, headlights - and the moon. Am having surgery this coming Tuesday - too bad it will be after the full moon.

[*Robert* 2]

I'm out the door in a few minutes, but no darn camera. Roi... if you could... PLEASE, try to get some beachfront shots at some point.

We'll see when I get home to maybe hit the road for a nice night out somewhere in the city.

Good weekend to all.

Daytime beachfront shots, or beachfront shots of the moon?

[rebeccajo 14]

Gonna have a great view of it from the East coast of FL!!!

But it's going to be cold tonight... like in the mid 40s!!!!

No clouds here at all!

Mid 40's?

That's not cold.

[*Robert* 2]

Gonna have a great view of it from the East coast of FL!!!

But it's going to be cold tonight... like in the mid 40s!!!!

No clouds here at all!

Mid 40's?

That's not cold.

I know... just being mean!

I think it's around 59 right now.

[Sprailenes 47]

Thats right everyone I will be dropping my pants at 6:30 pm eastern!

Just kidding.

I went outside and looked, couldn't find anything. BOOOURNS!

[*Robert* 2]

Sorry guys... I've been trying to get pictures, but a purely digital camera just doesn't take good pics of the moon. Unless someone knows a trick I can use?

I just get a blurry blob, or washed out light.

[Dakine 26]

Hint! How do you tell the moon is at it's fullest of the month.

Moon rises and sun sets with in a short period of time of each other.

[Y's_habibitk 2]

It is beautiful!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I got this in an email.

Full Moon is Friday December 12 at 9:37AM Mountain Standard Time. Use the momentum and strength of this full moon to move yourself by your choice into a newer and better place in your life, whatever that may be, and however that wants to show up. What it definitely needs to include is doing something you love to do and being with those you choose to be with. If you are contemplating stepping into a new project, line of work, relationship, or environment, do something to honor that intention.

Astrological Notes: The Full Moon in Gemini, a mutable air sign, rules communication, the mind, restlessness and versatility. This December Full Moon has extra power as it is the last of five Super Moons (closest to the Earth) exerting more gravitational pull and influence on the planet and our body/mind selves than usual. A Full Moon is always opposite the sign the Sun is in - this month Sagittarius. Sagittarius, a mutable fire sign, rules our aspirations, enthusiasm, travel, philosophy and beliefs. The Full Moon opposite the Sun forms a Grand Square this month by crossing the opposition of Saturn and Uranus that we have been living with since the election on November 4th.

Saturn requires discipline, restraint, organization; it restricts, delays and strengthens. It represents the established, habitual course of action.

Uranus wants freedom, change, extremes; it makes us let go and gives us originality, experimentation, disruption and rebellion.

Saturn will remain in opposition to Uranus until August, 2009. Here is an energized opportunity to wake up and breakdown the patterns that no longer serve us and move our lives in the direction we have been too fearful, hesitant and entrenched to move towards. Mars, planet of action, is conjoined with the Sun this month giving us extra courage to take action especially through mid-December.

From Thanksgiving, November 27 until January 1, 2009 no planets are retrograde for the first time this year, so All Systems are Go! Use this dynamic energy to move in the direction of your heart's desire.

[Imua 0]

Perfect viewing conditions in NYC tonight though it is cold!!!

When i got off the subway I could see it as soon as I got to street level - the sky was completely clear. I kept stopping and taking peeks as I was walking home - so beautiful!!! Even with the tripling effect(squinting helps to get rid of it). I actually see a rainbow halo around the moon too - more cataract SFX. The halos are kinda pretty so I might miss those.

[mawilson 2,133]

If the full moon tonight looks unusually large, it is not your imagination – it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years.

I saw it tonight and couldn't believe my eyes.

[jundp 191]

Darn, it's totally cloudy here

Someone post pictures, please!

[jom 4]

We drove around and watched it from a hill. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!