Beware of the Super moon – Special Coverage

SPECIAL COVERAGE FROM PAKISTAN WEATHER PORTAL (PWP)

(Updated 11:50am March 20)

If you missed the super moon yesterday then you can also view it tonight. Last night, we saw the moon with about 99.7% of area illuminated by sunlight. On Sunday evening, it would be less by just 1%. The rising moon on Sunday will also be as glorious and will be only 0.6% smaller in size.

(Updated 7:23pm March 19)

The super moon saga of 2011 is over as the whole world looks on this beautiful view of moon that is definitely a life time experience. Although the moon looked more brighter on March 18 than tonight.

(Updated 6:50 pm March 19)

In just seconds the Super moon will apear on the sky of the world.

 (Updated 6:00 pm March 19)

We are about to witness the largest moon in nearly two decades in just a few mintues. It will be closer than it has been in the last 18 year (1993). The moon will be very bright tonight and it will surely rule the night. For weeks there had been internet hype related to this phenomenon with some saying disasters will occur after the super moon goes while some saying like the NASA that it is a natural behavior of the universe and nothing will happen except for high tides. When the moon is closest to Earth, it is 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when it’s farthest from the planet.

Last time the moon came this close was 1981 and the next one to be this close will be in 2029. So dont miss it.

(Updated 10:00 am March 19)

Tonight the moon will rule the night with its appearance unlike in almost the last 20 years. It will take over the sky 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual. Two years ago, the moon came fairly close, but nothing like tonight and it was not a full moon. This near-perfect coincidence comes around only five times in a century.

Weather forecast remains same for Punjab, Khyber, so they might not see the super moon properly due to thunderstorm. While good news for Karachi is that sky will remain clear with some weak clouds and there will be no dusty winds in the city, so the moon will be visible to Karachi.

(Updated 11:00pm March 18)

Tomorrow (March 19)  is the day when the moon will make its closest approach to Earth, appearing closer and larger. The last supermoon this close was eighteen years ago. Tomorrow the Moon will totally dominate the night skies and light up the darkness.  The average distance between the Earth and the moon is about 383,000 kilometres. The full moon on March 19 will be about 356,577 kilometres away. The moon will help Earth’s tides to become high to very high, but it is not capable of triggering devastating earthquakes tsunamis, storms etc. So Karachiites remember to visit the beach on Saturday (do not swim or go near the sea as waves will be high to very high) and remember to keep you eyes fixed on the night sky to view this life time experience.

The Super moon will not be properly visible in Punjab, Khyber due to rainfall and dust/thunderstorm. In Karachi too chances are that moon will not be properly visible due to partly cloudy/cloudy weather and strong dusty winds on Saturday.