[gardeners] Winter Soltice 99
Byron (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 8 Dec 1999 22:09:16 -0500
FYI
1999 Winter Solstice Moon -
This year will be the first full moon to occur on the
winter solstice (Dec. 22, commonly called the first day
of winter) in 133 years.
Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurred in
conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in the moon's
orbit that is closest to Earth) the moon will appear
about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in
it's elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth).
Since the Earth is also several million miles closer
to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer,
sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making
it brighter.
Also, this will be the closest perigee of the moon of
the year since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming.
Given these conditions, and if the weather is clear and
there is a snow cover where you live, it is believed
that even car headlights will be superfluous at this time.
In laymen's terms, this will be a super-bright full moon,
much more than usual and that hasn't happened this way for
133 years. Our ancestors 133 years ago saw this. Our
descendants 100 or so years from now will see this again.
So, party hearty by the light of the silvery moon.
Happy holidays!