SUPERMOON AND IT'S EFFECTS

Supermoons can have a potential impact of natural disasters and astrologically it is an intensified New Moon or Full Moon. With a New Moon you often focus on personal beginnings, however when there is a Supermoon  new beginnings will have a more momentous tone this also applies to a Full Moon, events will seem even more dramatic. The Moon is also associated with emotions and  so when a Supermoon is involved you can be more emotional than usual moods will suffer extreme swings and there will be no shortage of drama. The moon tends to have more of an effect on women so they can find their emotions are more intensified.

In view of what is happening in the world at the moment it's understandable.

THE ARTICLE BELOW IS FROM THE DAILY MAIL

The ultimate guide to the biggest supermoon in living memory: MailOnline reveals how to watch the stunning spectacle on Monday

• Supermoons are new or full moons that occur when the moon's orbit brings it particularly close to Earth
• On Monday the full moon will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than it normally does
• It'll be the closest to Earth it's been since January 1948, and the closest full moon to date in the 21st century

The moon doesn't get much bigger and brighter than this.

On Monday, sky gazers across the world will be treated to a so-called supermoon – the closest full moon of the year.

It will be closer to the planet than it has been since 1948, and this month's full moon is set to be the biggest supermoon in living memory.

The once-in-a-lifetime sight takes place on the 14th of the month when the full moon will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than normal.

It will be closer to the planet than it has been since 1948, and this month's full moon is set to be the biggest supermoon in living memory. People will be treated to the once-in-a-lifetime sight on the 14th of the month, when the full moon will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than normal 

WHAT IS A SUPERMOON? 

Supermoons are new or full moons that occur when the orbit of the moon brings it particularly close to Earth.

For this reason, it appears to be bigger than normal - by about 10 per cent.

We usually get between four and six supermoons a year, but this November is special because the moon will be closer to Earth than at any time this century, and we won't get as near again until 2034. 

WHY WILL THE MOON APPEAR LARGER?  

The moon’s orbit is elliptical rather than perfectly circular, so as the moon moves around the Earth it is sometimes a little bit closer and sometimes a bit further away from us.

'If a full moon happens to occur when the Moon is also at its closest point then it will look slightly larger and brighter than usual – this is what is popularly known as a "supermoon",' Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich told MailOnline. 

'It’s a natural part of the moon’s cycle and happens around once a year. 

'The differences in apparent size and brightness amount to few percent but they can enhance the already beautiful sight of the full moon, making a supermoon worth looking up for.'

For this reason, it appears to be bigger than normal - by about 10 per cent.

We usually get between four and six supermoons a year, but this November is special because the moon will be closer to Earth than at any time this century, and we won't get as near again until 2034.

During the event, it will appear up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than an average full moon.  

A winter supermoon is supersized, because the Earth is closest to the sun in December each year, which means its gravity pulls the moon closer to the planet making it appear brighter and larger than those that occur during the rest of the year.

The best time to view a super moon is when the moon is low on the horizon where 'an illusion will occur that makes it look unnaturally larger,' according to AccuWeather.

Since the moon's orbit is elliptical, one side (perigee) is about 30,000 miles (48, 280 km) closer to Earth than the other 

Supermoons are new or full moons that occur when the orbit of the moon brings it particularly close to Earth. For this reason, it appears to be bigger than normal - by about 10 per cent

On November 14th, the Moon will be the closest to Earth it's been since January 1948. During the event, it will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon.

FIVE SUPERMOON FACTS 

It was not until 1979 that Astrologer Richard Nolle first defined the supermoon, which is now a widely-used term, as 'a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit'.

The moon has to be 226,000 miles (363,711 km) away from the Earth to be considered 'super' which normally happens only once every 14 months. However, there will be no supermoons in 2017.

Because of its close proximity to the Earth, the moon's surface appears a lot bigger when a supermoon occurs, which makes for stunning photography.

A winter supermoon is supersized, as the Earth is closest to the sun in December each year, which means its gravity pulls the moon closer to the planet making it appear brighter and larger than those that occur during the rest of the year.

Supermoons will get smaller in the future as the moon is slowly propelling itself out of Earth's orbit, moving 1.5 inches (3.8cm) further from the Earth each year.  

WHEN CAN YOU SEE IT?   

The supermoon will arrive next Monday, on November 14.

As long as the sky is clear, it should be an excellent night to gaze upon the lunar spectacle.

It will be the second supermoon of the year, the first having already happened on October 16, and the third expected on December 14.

At 8.09 PM GMT (3.09 PM ET) the moon will be the closest it has been to the Earth since 1948, at a distance of around 217,000 miles (350,000 km).

This will be when the moon is at its biggest and brightest during the day. 

'I've been telling people to go out at night on either Sunday or Monday night to see the supermoon,' said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. 

'The difference in distance from one night to the next will be very subtle, so if it's cloudy on Sunday, go out on Monday. Any time after sunset should be fine. 

'Since the moon is full, it'll rise at nearly the same time as sunset, so I'd suggest that you head outside after sunset, or once it's dark and the moon is a bit higher in the sky. 

'You don't have to stay up all night to see it, unless you really want to!' 

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO VIEW IT?

Experts suggest that, provided that the sky is clear and you have a view to the South, the moon will be clearly visible.

'Like any full moon it will rise above the ground in the East at sunset and reach its highest point in the sky at midnight before descending to set with the rising sun,' Colin Stuart, astronomy author, told MailOnline.

'This is the same for everyone on Earth.'  

For an even better view, try viewing from a spot with as little light pollution as possible.

The extraordinary visual effect of the moon is more pronounced when viewed near the horizon.

'The moon will look particularly big when seen close to the ground. It isn't actually bigger, but due to an effect called the moon Illusion it appears like it is,' Mr Stuart said.

'So if you can view it rising from a location with an unobstructed Eastern horizon free from trees and buildings you're more likely to see it at its "biggest".' 

'You don’t need any special equipment to see it the supermoon – just your eyes and a clear, cloud-free view of the sky,' Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich told MailOnline. 

'The moon usually appears most impressive when it’s close to the horizon, so look out for it as it rises in the eastern sky around 6pm on the evenings of November 13th and 14th.' 

If you want to watch it without even moving out of the house, Slooh Observatory will be doing a live broadcast. 

'Many people these days don't have a connection with the night sky because light pollution ruins our view of space from built up areas,' Mr Stuart said.

'Something as easy to see as an unusually bright full moon is a great way to spark people's interest in astronomy and think about how our solar system works. 

'Hopefully that will make them curious about seeing more of the wonders of the universe for themselves.'

Experts suggest that, provided that the sky is clear and you have a view to the south, the moon will be clearly visible. For an even better view, try viewing from a spot with as little light pollution as possible. Image of the supermoon by Albert Dros taken using Sony’s 70-200 G Master lens

DOES A SUPERMOON AFFECT OUR HEALTH? THE 'LUNATIC' EFFECT

Always surrounded by an aura of mystery, the moon and its possible influence over human behaviour has been object of ancestral fascination and mythical speculation for centuries.

While the full moon can't turn people into werewolves, some people do accuse it of causing a bad night's sleep or creating physical and mental alterations.

Dr Niall McCrae, a mental health researcher at King's College London, has spent years studying the phenomenon.

He told MailOnline he was first inspired to write his book 'The Moon and Madness' because looking back through archives he found a lack of research into the link between a full moon and mental health issues in the early 19th century. It appeared people were trying to distance themselves from the folklore, he said.

But, in stark contrast to this, mental health nurses Dr McCrae spoke to told of strong beliefs that at the time of a full moon, patients were more restless and agitated.

He said years ago, when mental health hospitals were buildings far away from cities placed on hills, with no curtains, the idea of a full moon affecting their sleep is very plausible.

Once one patient was woken by the light from the moon, they could become anxious or agitated and disturb other patients, causing a scene.

'In this environment, it's not unbelievable that moonlight can be a disturbing factor,' he said.

In the Bible, people described as 'lunatics' who fell to the ground, shaking, during a full moon might have been suffering from epileptic fits, he added.

Nowadays, he says, mental health care has changed and with different treatment, along with medication and artificial lighting, patients are less likely to be affected by the light from the moon.

To establish if lunar phases affect humans, an international group of researchers studied children in to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities.

The research studied a total of 5,812 children from five continents, and the results were published in May this year. 

The researchers found, in general, nocturnal sleep duration around full moon compared to new moon reported an average decrease of five minutes (or a one per cent variant).

Another study found healthy adults slept for 20 minutes less time during a full moon, Dr McCrae told MailOnline. 

DOES THE MOON AFFECT THE WEATHER?

Some argue the moon has an impact on the weather, but the evidence shows this is not significant.

'The weather isn’t affected by the moon,' Dr Marek Kukula told MailOnline.

'However the moon does affect the tides and, because the moon will be at its closest point to the Earth, high and low tides may be slightly more extreme than usual around the date of the supermoon - but only by a few centimetres.

Dr David Harland, space historian and author, said: 'It's possible that the moon may be a kilometre or two closer to Earth than normal at a perigee, but it's an utterly insignificant event. '

Previous supermoons took place in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005 - all years that had extreme weather events, conspiracy theorists say.

The tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people in Indonesia happened two weeks before the January 2005 supermoon. And on Christmas Day 1974, Cyclone Tracy laid waste to Darwin, Australia. 

But Pete Wheeler of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy greeted warnings of an impending apocalypse with scepticism before the supermoon in 2011.

'There will be no earthquakes or volcanoes erupting, unless they are to happen anyway,' he told news.com.au at the time.

'Earth will experience just a lower than usual low tide and a higher than usual high tide around the time of the event, but nothing to get excited about.'

During a full moon, the sun and the moon are pulling on Earth from opposite sides - making the chances of any dramatic tidal events unlikely. 

While the full moon can't turn people into werewolves, some people do accuse it of causing a bad night's sleep or creating physical and mental alterations. Image of the supermoon by Albert Dros taken with Sony’s 70-200 G Master lens

Supermoons are new or full moons that occur when the orbit of the moon brings it particularly close to Earth. For this reason, it appears to be bigger than normal - by about 10 per cent. The supermoon will arrive next Monday on November 14. As long as the sky is clear, it should be an excellent night to gaze upon the lunar spectacle

'WEREWOLF' BIRDS HUNT USING LUNAR TIDES

Myth and folklore feature tales of werewolves being affected by phases of the moon, and it appears this behaviour isn't as far-fetched as it may seem.

Coastal wading birds shape their lives around the tides and new research shows different species follow prey cycles tied to our lunar satellite.

Experts now plan to study how their prey responds to such tidal forces to learn more about this behaviour.

DOES A SUPERMOON CAUSE MOOD SWINGS OR LACK OF SLEEP?  

While the full moon can't turn people into werewolves, some people do accuse it of causing a bad night's sleep or creating physical and mental alterations. 

To establish if lunar phases affect humans, an international group of researchers studied children in May this year to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities.  

The research studied a total of 5,812 children from five continents.

The children came from a wide range of economic and sociocultural levels, and variables such as age, sex, highest parental education, day of measurement, body mass index score, nocturnal sleep duration, level of physical activity and total sedentary time were considered.

Data collection took place over 28 months, which is equivalent to the same number of lunar cycles. 

These were then subdivided into three lunar phases: full moon, half-moon and new moon. 

The findings obtained in the study revealed that in general, nocturnal sleep duration around full moon compared to new moon reported an average decrease of five minutes (or a one per cent variant). 

No other activity behaviours were substantially modified.

'Our study provides compelling evidence that the moon does not seem to influence people's behaviour,' said Dr Jean-Philippe Chaput, from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute.

Another study found healthy adults slept for 20 minutes less time during a full moon.

Historically, full moons have been linked to a lack of sleep because of the bright light that shines from them.

WHY ARE WE SO FASCINATED BY THE SUPERMOON?

Always surrounded by an aura of mystery, the moon and its possible influence over human behaviour has been object of ancestral fascination and mythical speculation for centuries.

Myth and folklore feature tales of werewolves being affected by phases of the moon. 

'Folklore and even certain instances of occupational lore suggest that mental health issues or behaviours of humans and animals are affected by lunar phases,' Dr Chaput said.

'Whether there is science behind the myth or not, the moon mystery will continue to fascinate civilisations in the years to come,' he added. 

One study found healthy adults slept for 20 minutes less time during a full moon. Historically, full moons have been linked to a lack of sleep because of the bright light that shines from them. Image of the supermoon by Albert Dros

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