Bright spot as clear skies are perfect for a pink supermoon
THERE aren’t many positives to the pandemic lockdown – but one upside is a reduction in air pollution, which will mean a clearer night sky for a stunning astronomical treat this week.
On Tuesday, Ireland will witness a rare phenomenon known as a pink supermoon.
It happens when the first full moon of spring, traditionally called the pink moon, coincides with the moment the moon is at its closest point to Earth.
As a result of being relatively near, the moon will appear 30% brighter and 14% bigger in the sky than average.
Emily Drabek-Maunder, an astronomer at the UK’s Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: ‘It’s going to be spectacular. The
‘A spectacular display of the beauty of nature’
supermoon is a great opportunity for everyone to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
‘While the night sky seems constant to us, we can directly witness the changing universe by taking notice of the moon.’
The moon’s elliptical orbit means that, at its closest point, it is just over 350,000 kilometres from the Earth, almost 48,000 kilometres closer than when it’s at its farthest point. When this perigree coincides with a new moon, the phenomenon is called a supermoon.
The moon won’t actually appear pink – the name comes from the wildflowers which blossom at this time of year in North America – but orange when it is low in the sky.
This is because at that point it is viewed through a greater thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters blue and green wavelengths of light, leaving those at the red, orange and yellow end of the spectrum.
Ms Drabek-Maunder said: ‘The moon is visible because sunlight reflects off the surface of the moon back to the Earth. When we look up at the moon, the colour of the moon varies from a light golden to a silvery tone.
‘This change in colour depends on how close the moon is to the horizon and the change in the angle of the light that reflects off the moon’s surface as it passes through the atmosphere of the Earth.’
Tuesday’s spectacle will be the second of three supermoons this year following last month’s ‘worm’ supermoon and before next month’s ‘flower’ supermoon. Astronomers say the pink one will be the best of the trio.
Stargazers will be in for a long night if they want to catch the best view, as the supermoon will be at its fullest and most magnificent at around 3.35am on Wednesday.
But the phenomenon will be visible across Ireland for the entire night, rising in the east on Tuesday at 7.35pm and setting in the west at 7.05am the following morning.
Nasa research scientist Noah Petroh said: ‘Supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the moon, not just once but every chance they have.’