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| Moon Over Munster (by Kai Schreiber) |
Ever wonder where the term "honeymoon" originated from? Look
up at the heavens this weekend, and you might just come up with a theory.
That's because the supermoon is now ruling the earthly skies. Alan
Boyle, Science Editor of NBC News, calls it "the biggest, brightest
full moon of the year…"
Although "the moon itself is the same size it's been for ages [give or take a few craters]," it sometimes seems
"super." Because of the moon's elliptical orbit around the earth, at certain times it is closer to our planet than at others. When
a full moon is particularly close, it appears to be "about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than it does at the farthest point in its orbit."
It not only appears to be brighter, but also to be somewhat honey-colored.
Astronomer Bob Berman states that this "honeymoon" effect is due to the fact that lower moons shine "through more than twice as much
reddening air and moisture." Supermoons therefore tend to look "orange, yellow or amber."
Although all this might have little to do with the term "honeymoon," it certainly is a lot sweeter than some of the other theories. One popular
explanation for the word "honeymoon" goes like this: When people first get married, their love is as glowing as a full moon – but then it begins to wane just as quickly…
Resources
http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/21/19065917-happy-supermoon-celebrate-lunar-largeness-as-a-planetary-holiday?lite
Copyright June 23, 2013 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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