USVI-On-Line

We will be going down soon and will be there Nov. 14th for the Super Moon. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good spot to watch the moon appear? Thanks.

Try Reef Bay

Ram Head always makes for a great full moon hike.

Thanks.

I've caught sunset and, shortly afterward, the rise of the full moon from Ram Head, but if you were interested in a lower exertion option, consider a seat by the water at Miss Lucy's, with a plateful of roast pork.

Some background on the so-called "super moon": the moon's orbit isn't perfectly circular, but rather is elliptical, so it is at its closest point (perigee) once every month. Several times per year, the moon is at its closest at or near the time of full moon (when the moon is on the opposite side from the sun). The moon's average angular diameter is 31.7 arc-minutes (about half a degree), but it can range from as small as 29.3 minutes, to as large as 34.1 minutes. There is also a minor effect from the elliptical nature of the Earth's orbit. This coming "super moon" will be about as big as the moon ever gets, but that is still only 7% bigger than average. It is about 14% bigger than the smallest the moon gets. Now the brightness of the full moon is about area, not diameter, so that the November 14th super moon will be about 30% brighter than the full moon at its apogee, and 15% brighter than the average full moon.

All the best,

Kevin

Wow - great information! Looking forward to the big event. Thanks, Kevin.

Leave it to Kevin...Thanks!

More's on the way, BC. Stay tuned!

All the best,

Kevin

There are a nice pair of photos at Astronomy Photo of the Day today that puts tomorrow night's Super Moon in perspective:
If you haven't been to APOD before, it has been in operation since the earliest days of the internet, and remains a pretty awesome site:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

All the best,

Kevin