Smallest Full Moon of the Year Tonight

Posted by NG Kids in News Bites on August 24, 2010
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If you look at tonight’s full moon and think it looks smaller than usual, you’d be right. It’s the smallest full moon of the year!

The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle–it’s shaped more like an egg. That means the moon isn’t always the same distance from the Earth. Tonight the moon will be at its furthest point from the Earth, at what is called its apogee. That makes the Earth seem smaller when viewed from Earth. It also affects the moon’s pull on tides. The pull will be weaker than usual.

Read more about tonight’s full moon on National Geographic News.

How much do you know about the moon? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

Photograph by Marti Kallas, My Shot

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Categories: Space

Comments

  1. jindo2108
    August 24, 2010, 3:18 pm

    Nice!! I’ll watch the sky tonight!

  2. climber
    August 24, 2010, 5:45 pm

    THAT IS TODAY!

  3. timbautista
    August 24, 2010, 8:07 pm

    wow! i will watch the moon to!

  4. Pinky Caine
    August 28, 2010, 7:12 pm

    Cool! There are going to be 2 moons on Thursday Aug 26 night at 11:30 am! Because mars is coming close enough that we can se it with a plain eye! (without a telescope)

  5. Pinky Caine
    August 30, 2010, 8:00 am

    Cool!

  6. mochachino121
    August 31, 2010, 7:15 pm

    this is very interseting. did you know that when the moon turns orange it means to harvest your crops. its called a harvest moon.

  7. scooby-doo
    September 8, 2010, 6:27 pm

    That is cool!!!

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