If by any chance you see people gazing skyward for a significant period of time on Saturday night remember that it is 'Supermoon' night.
Saturday's full moon is the brightest and biggest of the year appearing about 14 percent larger than usual.
The moon will be at a distance of 221,802 miles (357,000 km) from Earth which is about 15,300 miles (24,600 km) closer than usual.
How does this phenomenon affect the Earth? To begin with, you have a significant amount of more people looking at the sky than usual. Second, the close proximity of the moon to the Earth will create higher than normal tides in the ocean according to USAToday quoting Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
The Supermoon will be visible to various territories around the world including North America and Europe.
UPDATE 1: Not only are people's sight glued to the sky, but the internet as well is drawn to the 'Supermoon' as well.
The word 'Supermoon' is Google's 12th most searched term at this moment (11 p.m. EST), and Latinos Post's independent traffic analyzer shows that many are also searching for results for the terms 'Supermoon pictures', 'Supermoon photos', or simply 'Supermoon may 5 pictures.'
UPDATE 2: Here are the most recent pictures of May 5th's 'Supermoon' from around the world.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
