A picture taken on June 23, 2013 shows the so-called “supermoon” over San Salvador, El Salvador. AFP
By Terry Fredrickson
If you like moon photos, you have thousands of new ones to choose from on the internet today. The reason, of course, is the moon has just given us its biggest and brightest full moon of the year.
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The supermoon show
A picture taken on June 22, 2013 shows a full moon over the Mediterranean coastal city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv. AFP
If you like moon photos, you have thousands of new ones to choose from on the internet today. People have been pointing their cameras at our lunar neighbour all weekend.
The reason, of course, is the moon has just given us its biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It has come within 357,000 kilometres of Earth, making it appear about 14 percent larger than normal and about 30 percent brighter.
Unfortunately, even this "Supermoon" is not bright enough to penetrate rain clouds, so the show has not been so spectacular here in Thailand where the rainy season has begun.
Technically known as the "perigee moon," the moon comes about seven percent closer to Earth than it is at its apogee – its farthest distance.
The perigee moon does have a slight effect on Earth in that the tides will be somewhat higher. But that is about it. Scientists stress that it should not have an effect on human health, nor should it affect human behaviour.
Are you interested in seeing the supermoon yourself? If you are watching this morning, you can see it live from a space camera in the Canary Islands.
If you missed it, the next supermoon is August 10, 2014.
Vocabulary
so-called – used for saying that a particular word is usually used for referring to someone or something ที่เป็นที่รู้กัน
lunar – of or relating to the moon เกี่ยวกับพระจันทร์
appear – to seem ดูเหมือนจะ, ดูเหมือนว่า
normal – typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect ภาวะปกติ
unfortunately – making you sad or disappointed, or getting you into a difficult position เป็นที่น่าเสียดาย
penetrate – to go into or through something แทรกซึมเข้าไป, ผ่านเข้าไป, ทะลุเข้าไป
spectacular - very exciting to look at น่าตื่นเต้น
technically – according to accepted methods of doing something ทางเทคนิค
perigee – the point in the orbit of the moon, a planet or other object in space when it is nearest the planet, for example the earth, around which it turns ตำแหน่งโคจรของวัตถุในอวกาศที่อยู่ใกล้โลกที่สุด
apogee – the point in the orbit of the moon, a planet or other object in space when it is furthest from the planet, for example the earth, around which it turns จุดโคจรไกลสุดจากโลก
slight – very small in degree เล็กน้อยมาก,น้อยมาก, นิดเดียว
tide – the regular rise and fall of the level of the sea (the tides) ปรากฏการณ์น้ำขึ้นน้ำลง, กระแสน้ำขึ้นน้ำลง
stress – to emphasise something such as an idea, fact or detail; to explain why something is important เน้น
behaviour – the way that someone acts or behaves พฤติกรรม, การกระทำตัว
live – happening now, i.e., not recorded earlier ถ่ายทอดสด
