If you missed the supermoon earlier this summer, you're in luck. This weekend will feature the most super of supermoons in all of 2014.
August 10th brings the start of the "Old Faithful" of meteor showers, the Perseids, as well as a super moon. The prolific Perseids show up once a year, in August, filling the night sky with as many as 80 shooting stars an hour. This year's show coincides with the arrival of a super moon, which occurs when the Earth and moon are at their closest. The full moon will appear as much as 30% brighter and 14% bigger than usual. The moon won't be this close to the Earth again until September 2015.
If you're lucky, you might see some Earth-grazing Perseids. These are unusually long and graceful meteors, less frequent but quite lovely. This year's Perseid shower won't be the wild, showy 80 meteors per hour that can happen when they arrive during moonless nights. Even so, a shooting star or two reminds us that looking heavenward is always rewarding.
And if you don't see a meteor, you'll still get to see a super moon. Super moons occur when a full moon and the Earth are closest in their orbits. The moon's closeness isn't just something to look up for. It also brings extra high and low tides, which make it a great time for beachcombing.
If you're lucky, you might see some Earth-grazing Perseids. These are unusually long and graceful meteors, less frequent but quite lovely. This year's Perseid shower won't be the wild, showy 80 meteors per hour that can happen when they arrive during moonless nights. Even so, a shooting star or two reminds us that looking heavenward is always rewarding.
And if you don't see a meteor, you'll still get to see a super moon. Super moons occur when a full moon and the Earth are closest in their orbits. The moon's closeness isn't just something to look up for. It also brings extra high and low tides, which make it a great time for beachcombing.
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