Saturday, March 19, 2011

Moonshine, Holi and Chaat



NEW DELHI: An exceptional celestial treat is in store for sky gazers as 'supermoon', the biggest and brightest full moon of the year which will be closest to Earth in 18 years, will be seen in the night sky on Saturday.


"The 'supermoon' will be closest to the Earth in 18 years today and will appear to be the biggest and brightest of 2011, Director of Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) C B Devgun told PTI.

Saturday's full moon will be around 10 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter as compared to other full moons during the year, he said.
The term 'Supermoon' was first coined by Astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. According to him, it is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to the Earth in its orbit than average, which is 90 per cent or more of its closest orbit, and the moon is a full or new moon.

Today, the moon will be only 3,56,577 kms away from the Earth, the closest while at the full moon phase in 18 years.

Earlier, there were supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005.

Regular situations of full moons coinciding with the moon's closest point to Earth in fact happen after about every one year, one month and 18 days when it is about 3,63,104 km away from the Earth, Devgun said.

"This is because the moon's orbit is an ellipse with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other. In the language of astronomy, the two extremes are called 'apogee' (far away) and 'perigee' (nearby)," Devgun said.

At the closest, our natural satellite moon lies roughly 3,56,630 kms from the Earth compared to its average distance of 3,84,800 km from the planet.

"The moon will not only shine brighter but will also appear bigger as compared to other full moons during the year," he said.
The full moon will be at its best at around 3:30am, R C Kapoor, a retired professor of Indian Institute of Astrophysics said.
(story  from The  Times  of  India)

I  went  out  and took  some  photos  of   the  super  moon.  It  was  a wonderful  sight  enhanced  by  the  fact that we are  seeing it  after 18   years.I  wonder  what I  was   doing  on  a   night  like   this   18  years  ago .
In all  probability  I  was  curled  up  underneath  a heavy  quilt in  freezing  Mussoorie up  there in the Himalayas. Oh  I  loved  the  Himalayan moonlight - so  bright  and  sharp, reflecting off  the hillsides.

It   talked  back to  you when you  spoke  to it.

What  are  you doing  friends.
Take  out  your   cameras and  shoot  the moon  on  March  19th. Its  a  historic moon.
Its the  night  of  the  Hindu  festival of  Holi. People  are  celebrating around bonfires. There  is  music  , food and  gaiety. Followed   by  2  days  of   colored water sprinkling and  other  forms   of  celebrations.
 
I made White  Peas  Chaat tonight.
Click on the  name   for  the  recipe
it  goes  well  with  a  spicy,tangy, yogurt sauce.
You  can also add  boiled
potatoes  to it.
And  garnish  it  with  Indian  snack  mix and  tomatoes.
Yummy.

Now shoot  the  moon.
Are  you going  to  capture
astronomical history
and  share  it  on  your  blog?

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