A "super-moon" was on offer for New Zealand on Sunday evening...
This is a once a year event and this year the moon is as much as 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than other full moons of 2012 due to its closeness to earth.
The scientific term for the phenomenon is "perigee moon". The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side, or perigee, about 31,000 miles closer than the other, or apogee.
On Sunday evening the moon was visible over New Zealand since 5.23pm.
The last perigee moon was on March 19, 2011, when it was about 250 miles closer than tonight's.
A perigee full moon can bring tides that are higher than normal but only by an inch or so (a few centimetres). The effect can be amplified by local geography, but only by about six inches.
The scientific term for the phenomenon is "perigee moon". The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side, or perigee, about 31,000 miles closer than the other, or apogee.
On Sunday evening the moon was visible over New Zealand since 5.23pm.
The last perigee moon was on March 19, 2011, when it was about 250 miles closer than tonight's.
A perigee full moon can bring tides that are higher than normal but only by an inch or so (a few centimetres). The effect can be amplified by local geography, but only by about six inches.
Check out this link to another TVNZ clip
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/super-moon-lights-up-nz-sky-video-4866070
Leave a comment to this post and tell us what you have learnt from the article and the news video.
