Superboats to a Supermoon, What a Week in Key West

     Things seem to keep happening here in Key West, This week we had the Superboat Championship Races all week long, and to cap off the week, we have the visit of the supermoon.  This was not just any supermoon, it is the closest the moon has been to the earth since 1948.

     There will be an amazing spectacle tonight as the first supermoon in almost 70 years appears in the night sky. In fact, if you’re younger than 68 you have never witnessed this record-breaking supermoon in your lifetime.

     The technical term for a Supermoon is perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. In astronomy, the term syzygy refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies.  When the Moon is close to the lunar nodes of its path during syzygy, it causes a total solar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse.  Tomorrow morning, November 14, 2016 the moon will be the closest it has been to Earth since January 26,1948.   It will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the average monthly full moon. Of course that’s dependent on hopefully viewing the supermoon without the obstruction of a cloudy night. Thankfully it appears most of the United States will remain mostly clear for tonight’s supermoon.

     If you happen to miss the moon tonight, you’ll have to wait until November 25, 2034 so take some time to go outside tonight and witness the impressive moon.