FW: enjoy, brothers and sisters...
DEEN, JASO (DEEN@mx.afrri.usuhs.mil)
Wed, 22 Dec 1999 08:46:11 -0500
This year there will be a full moon on the winter solstice,
December 22. Since this full moon will occur in conjunction with a lunar
perigee (the point in the moon's elliptical orbit that is closest to Earth),
the moon will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in
its orbit that is farthest from the Earth). Also, this will be the closest
perigee of the moon this year (the moon's orbit is constantly deforming).
Since the Earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time
of the year than in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7%
stronger, making the moonlight brighter. If the weather is clear and there
is a snow cover where you live, it is believed that even car headlights will
be superfluous.
On December 21st, 1866 the Lakota Sioux took advantage of
this combination of occurrences and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush
on soldiers in the Wyoming Territory.
In laymen's terms, it will be a super bright full moon, AND
it hasn't happened this way for 133 years! Our ancestors 133 years ago saw
this. Our descendants 100 or so years from now will see this again.