Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? NO! It's SuperMoon!

Have you noticed the moon recently?  Starting on August 10th you can't miss it if you are outside after dusk (and the sky clears up).  The moon is full and appears especially large for the next few days because it and the earth are closer to each other than at other times in the year.  Scientists call this positioning "perigee".  And when the earth and moon are close together like this they appear larger and brighter:  14% larger and 30% brighter.  Sounds like an ad for a teeth whitener....

But as beautiful as this supermoon is, it can result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides.  Any coastal storm at sea around this time will increase flooding problems.  This certainly will have continuing impact on Hawaii.  After a head-on intercept with Iselle just a few days ago and Julio waiting in the wings, this back-to-back bad news can only be intensified by the moon's position with the earth.  Japan is also in the bull's eye for Typhoon Halong.

Don't confuse the supermoon with the harvest moon.  The date for this year's harvest moon is September 8th; it occurs when the moon is full on the date closest to the fall equinox.  But, you'll have to wait a month to hear about that.  In the meantime, call up a friend and tell them to look up in the sky for the next few nights, and get a double treat.  The Persieds are coming.  And wish that friend a happy belated friendship day! (Say, "A Friend at The Garden Club of Switzerland told me!")