08-11-2014, 01:43 PM
Speedy wrote:
...
You all do realize it is a 'super moon' because it is getting closer. It is only a matter of time before the moon crashes into the earth. Then you won't think it looks all that cool.
This is not technically true, which is to say, it's utterly false:
"The Moon's linear distance from Earth is currently increasing at a rate of 3.82±0.07 cm per year, but this rate is not constant."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon
That we happen to note that the Moon covers roughly the same area of the sky as the Sun, and is extremely predictable in its motions, with notable and extremely well documented idiosyncrasies, idiosyncrasies that that we know about from some earlier Human cultures, because that's about all that we know about those earlier Human cultures, because for some reason, those earlier Human cultures felt it extremely important that we know about....
Harrumph. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Moon much closer to Earth a Billion years ago, Moon much farther from Earth a Billion years from now. Explaining all this involves some basic Astrophysics. Daring to go beyond basic Astrophysics drags in most Religions, some really bad Science Fiction, and certain kinds of mental illnesses that are colloquially grouped together and known as Lunacy.
Eustace
(Edited, because I just came across that really cool GIF.)