A supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the moon’s disk as seen from Earth. The technical name is the perigee moon. The term “supermoon” is not an astronomical one, but one that originated in modern astrology. The association of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has led to claims that the supermoon phenomenon may be associated with increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. However, the evidence of such a link is widely held to be unconvincing.
This May was a supermoon, as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012. Although the moon is 14% bigger, it can be tricky to really put it’s size into perspective while it’s hanging high in the sky with no real sense of scale. There are no rulers to measure the lunar diameters… The best time to look up at the night sky at the moon is when the moon is near the horizon. The moon looks exceptionally large when it beams through trees, buildings and other foreground objects. On May 5th, 2012 the moon amplified itself by rising in the South East of the Pacific over the ocean which made it look bigger and brighter than what it already was.
I spent Sunday evening up on Dorrigo Mountain in the gorgeous New England Tablelands and overlooking the Bellinger Valley. It was a perfect decision on my behalf to head up the mountain and away from the coast seeing as every other man and his camera were out shooting the coastal headlands. Anyway that’s enough rambling for one day. Enjoy the images, thanks for the feedback in advance.
Dorrigo Mountain Top Lookout looking South East as the Supermoon kisses the horizon.
Canon 5DMKII – Canon 70-200 2.8L @ 160mm, f/11, ISO 100, 1/50s
The moon creeps over the horizon over the cliche Dorrigo countryisde.
Canon 5DMKII – Canon 70-200 2.8L @ 70mm f/8, ISO 400, 1/6s
Dorrigo Mountain as the full moon sets in for a bright and glorious night.
Canon 5DMKII – Canon 70-200 2.8L @ 70mm, ISO 400, f/11, 3.2s
One Comment
Very nice, Drew. I especially like the 3rd photo in this series. You’ve employed a nice minimal composition, but still captured plenty of detail in the trees on the mountainside. Keep up the good work!