The size of the moon when it is closest to and farthest from the Earth
Vidulini
These days, the evening sky, we have seen two striking celestial object in the immediate vicinity. It is about the planet Mars and our natural satellite - moon.
Both of these are the days closest to Earth. Mars in less than 100 million kilometers on a full moon just over 350,000 km.
Do you have a chance to make sure you look shiny reddish asterisk hour, hour and a half after sunset, shining next to the largest full moon of the year.
When you are on your journey around the sun, Mars up close to the ground, which happens every two Earth years, we say that Mars is in opposition with the Earth. The minimum distance in this heavenly constellation may be only 56 million kilometers, for example, the 2003rd year. This year's Mars opposition, which "made" even 99 million kilometers is not representative. But the telescope Mars is now a very interesting object for visual observation and astrophotography. On the other side of the moon during the whole year away and closer to our planet. When is the furthest we say that the apogee and when it is closest to perigee. The difference between these two moments in celestial mechanics can reach more than 60,000 kilometers (360,000 km vs. 420,000 km). This full moon is even 30% brighter and 15% higher than any full moon during the proceeding calendar year!
Johannes Kepler explained the phenomenon 400 years ago. Moon's orbit around the Earth is not a circle but an ellipse, which is on one side for almost 60,000 km closer to Earth than the other. When these conditions celestial mechanics leads to the appearance that we see with the naked eye - an unusually large full moon.
It is similar orbits of Mars and Earth. But as the conditional celestial mechanics much more demanding, they are the opposition of Mars with the approach of two planets to only 56 million km are very rare.
Regardless of how Mars was close to the earth on observers will always be only more or less shining stars! Do you leave in the evening under the starry sky, make sure you look at the big, bright planet Jupiter, which is every day quickly approaching the western horizon. You can not go wrong, it is the brightest star low on the horizon.
Marino Tumpić
