Celebrating a Super Moon, August 10, 2014

A Supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth.

The technical name is the ‘perigee-syzygy’ of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. The opposite phenomenon, an apogee-syzygy, has been called a ‘micromoon‘, though this term is not as widespread as ‘supermoon‘.

The term “supermoon” is not astronomical, but originated in modern astrology. The association of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has led to claims that the supermoon phenomenon may be associated with increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the evidence of such a link is widely held to be unconvincing.

The most recent occurrence was on August 10, 2014. The next and closest supermoon of 2014 will be on September 9.

What is the definition of a Supermoon and why is it called that?

‘Supermoon‘ is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon. So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times.

It is called a Supermoon because this is a very noticeable alignment that at first glance would seem to have an effect.

The ‘super’ in Supermoon is really just the appearance of being closer, but unless we were measuring the Earth-Moon distance by laser rangefinders (as we do to track the LRO [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter] spacecraft in low lunar orbit and to watch the Earth-Moon distance over years), there is really no difference. The supermoon really attests to the wonderful new wealth of data NASA’s LRO mission has returned for the Moon, making several key science questions about our nearest neighbor all the more important.

Are there any adverse effects on Earth because of the close proximity of the moon?

The effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor, and according to the most detailed studies by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists, the combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its ‘full moon’ configuration (relative to the Earth and sun), should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth since there are lunar tides every day.

The Earth has stored a tremendous amount of internal energy within its thin outer shell or crust, and the small differences in the tidal forces exerted by the moon (and sun) are not enough to fundamentally overcome the much larger forces within the planet due to convection (and other aspects of the internal energy balance that drives plate tectonics).

Nonetheless, these supermoon times remind us of the effect of our ‘Africa-sized’ nearest neighbor on our lives, affecting ocean tides and contributing to many cultural aspects of our lives (as a visible aspect of how our planet is part of the solar system and space).

The second in a trio of supermoons this summer is set to light up the sky Sunday.

According to NASA, the so-called ‘supermoon‘ occurs when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon.

“The moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few per cent at such times,” NASA says.

Sunday’s full moon “will be as much as 14% closer and 30% brighter than other full moons of the year,” the space agency says on its site.

SUPERMOON, FULL MOON, Grandmother Moon, illuminating what has been hidden. What is uncovered is always a treasure of our inner landscape.

We are here to find our True North. Not magnetic north where we navigating according to others magnetic pull, reacting, pleasing and appeasing.

Our Truth North is aligning with our center and our most authentic Self. In honoring our Self, we will have to define our own path as well as our own boundaries. This is the path to Freedom. Choose You, your soul will thank you!

“The Leo-Aquarius Full Moon is the swing and balance of staying true to yourself, and seeing your own dramatic role in the future-shaping of our times.

“What stands out in the Full Moon chart is the Sun-Moon angle to Saturn (in Scorpio). That forms an activating T-square with deeply entrenched fixed signs. There are tensions that jar to the roots, and could activate an inside-out kind of change.

“One way this can play out is realizing that to live out new, promising visions, there’s a need to restructure. And the restructuring, with Saturn there at a provocative angle, is likely in the psyche.

“So some of the Full Moon release could be of stuck psychic energies, that cry out to be aired and healed.…Aquarius is like an unexpected breeze on a hot summer day. It’s the surprise breakthrough that comes in the midst of struggle. Or a startling event that wakes you up, like a cosmic alarm clock.

“This is a chance to rebel against deadening conformity, to break free — of ideas about reality, a habitual rhythm, deeply embedded conditioning. Epic ah-has happen at the Aquarius Full Moon, when we bust through our own (often self-imposed) glass ceiling and breathe the air.

“The good vibes of Aquarius are best received with an open mind. If it’s time for a radical upgrade in your thinking, there’s often a period of in-between.

Aquarius has two rulers — Uranus and Saturn.

One is the evolutionary urge, the other (Saturn) shows us how to ground the charge.

“Being able to see that the way we organize and perceive reality itself, is up for tweaking, can be liberating. This one-two punch of Aquarius Full Moons celebrates out of the box thinking. If you’ve felt at a dead-end, and stagnant, get ready for unexpected plot twists!

“…This Full Moon illuminates: supportive networks, flashes of genius, kindred spirits, human potential for evolution, innovative use of technology, relations with friends, quantum leaps in spiritual growth, sudden events or realizations that alter your life course, your place in the social web…expressing your eccentricities, being true to yourself, act on behalf of human freedom.”

© Copyright 2014 ~ Molly Hall.