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Get set for 'super snow moon,' the biggest supermoon of the year

posted by martyb on Monday February 18 2019, @02:17PM   
from the do-"flat-Earthers"-believe-in-a-flat-moon? dept.

realDonaldTrump writes:

"Skygazers will be treated to the 'super snow moon,' on Feb. 19, the largest supermoon of 2019.

February’s full moon is known as the “snow moon” as a result of the heavy snowfall that often occurs at that time of year...............

Supermoons occur when the Moon’s orbit brings it to the closest point to Earth while the Moon is full." foxnews.com/science/get-set-for-super-snow-moon-the-biggest-supermoon-of-the-year

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Original Submission

• I'll be glad when fad ends I'll be glad when fad ends (Score: 3, Insightful) by khallow on Monday February 18 2019, @02:29PM (3 children)

  by khallow (3766) on Monday February 18 2019, @02:29PM (#802956) Journal

  There's plenty of interesting lunar phenomena out there. The slightly closest full Moon of the year is not one of those.

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• Re:I'll be glad when fad ends Re:I'll be glad when fad ends (Score: 2) by AndyTheAbsurd on Monday February 18 2019, @02:41PM (2 children)

  by AndyTheAbsurd (3958) on Monday February 18 2019, @02:41PM (#802959) Journal

  Agreed. I'm still trying to figure when, why, and how this "supermoon" thing became a phenomenon that people cared about; they've literally been happening for centuries and it's only in the last couple of years (maybe not even that long) that they've gotten any media attention. Give what the link in TFS is, though, you know who I'm going to blame...

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  • Re:I'll be glad when fad ends (Score: 3, Insightful) by AthanasiusKircher on Monday February 18 2019, @02:52PM

    by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Monday February 18 2019, @02:52PM (#802962) Journal

    I have mixed feelings about it personally.

    On the one hand, yes, it's not an "every day" occurrence, but "supermoons" happen quite frequently. As do lunar eclipses and most of the random astronomical phenomena mentioned by your daily newscaster. That's one of the reasons why astrology always seems to work "so well" -- there's always about ten different random astronomical events happening during a given week, so you can always come up with a way to justify whatever happens: "Oh, this wasn't because the conjunction of X and Y which predicted a good day, but note Jupiter is in the House of Aquarius now, so that explains why I didn't win the lottery!"

    On the other hand, few people bother to look up at the stars these days. If some kid hears about a "supermoon" and takes ten minutes away from his phone to look out at the stars, and perhaps that makes him pick up a book on astronomy from the library next week, that's probably a good thing.

    Keep in mind the media has basically been reporting on lunar eclipses as long as I can remember. Yet they're really common too, but they always get a mention. Is the "supermoon" any less trivial? I don't know. I do think the name "supermoon" is stupid, but that's about the only thing I have against reporting on them.

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  • Re:I'll be glad when fad ends (Score: 3, Interesting) by zocalo on Monday February 18 2019, @02:57PM

    by zocalo (302) on Monday February 18 2019, @02:57PM (#802964)

    It's definitely a tabloid media thing, although I've seen a few supposedly more reputable outlets fall into line with this garbage as well. I think they're now trying to do a Gillette [theonion.com] with each other, so it's probably just a matter of time before one of them decides to fuck everything and go with a "Super {*FIVE* vague cultural references}, {two pseudo-scientific astronomical/horological references}, {random colour} moon".

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