Supermoon to Grace Evening Sky, Shooting Stars Possible Despite Cloudy Forecast
A supermoon will be visible throughout the night, appearing larger than usual as a full moon. Uwe Pilz, chairman of the Association of Sternfreunde in Bensheim, South Hesse, stated the moon will be visible all night, weather permitting. Its closest approach will be Tuesday at 5:48 a.m.,at a distance of 359,706 kilometers. Though, November 6th’s full moon, peaking at 1:15 a.m.,will be even closer at 351,288 kilometers.
A minor meteor shower is also expected to peak on October 8th, though Pilz notes, “This is not a particularly strong meteor current.” Observers have a limited window – roughly two hours after sunset when the sky is dark and before the moon rises too high and interferes with visibility.
The phenomenon of a supermoon, sometimes appearing with a reddish hue, is due to the moon’s non-circular orbit around Earth. The German Air and Space Center reports the moon’s greatest distance from Earth is approximately 405,000 kilometers.
Regrettably, the German Weather Service forecasts mostly cloudy skies for those hoping to view the full moon, particularly in the northeast towards the Elbe region. A spokesperson indicated potential for brief clearings later in the night, but overall prospects for stargazers are ”pretty bad.”
© DPA-Infocom, DPA: 251006-930-128829/1
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