A special full moon hangs in the weekend's night skies, adding an unusually large and bright splash of silver to our longest days.
The full moon -- appearing at 4:32 a.m. Sunday -- peaks within 20 minutes of the moon's nearest encounter with Earth for all of 2013, making it the largest full moon of the year. Dubbed a "supermoon," it will appear 15 percent larger and 20 percent brighter than when it's at its farthest point -- and will not be so close again until August 2014.
It is part of an astronomical trifecta -- a close-in "supermoon" that is perfectly full, just after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year -- that lifts the hearts of skywatchers.
The convergence of the three events means we will be bathed in more light this weekend than any other time of the year, said astronomy instructor Jonathan Braidman of Oakland's Chabot Space and Science Center, which will offer to the public its three telescopes -- for free -- from sunset to about 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
"After a very long day, we'll have a nearby full moon, reflecting the sun," he said. "There will be lots of vitamin D!"
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The full moon -- appearing at 4:32 a.m. Sunday -- peaks within 20 minutes of the moon's nearest encounter with Earth for all of 2013, making it the largest full moon of the year. Dubbed a "supermoon," it will appear 15 percent larger and 20 percent brighter than when it's at its farthest point -- and will not be so close again until August 2014.
It is part of an astronomical trifecta -- a close-in "supermoon" that is perfectly full, just after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year -- that lifts the hearts of skywatchers.
The convergence of the three events means we will be bathed in more light this weekend than any other time of the year, said astronomy instructor Jonathan Braidman of Oakland's Chabot Space and Science Center, which will offer to the public its three telescopes -- for free -- from sunset to about 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
"After a very long day, we'll have a nearby full moon, reflecting the sun," he said. "There will be lots of vitamin D!"
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