According to the Credence Clearwater Revival’s 1970s’ song, they saw a bad moon rising, earthquakes, lightning and malevolent weather. How many people have thought of their song when they learned about super moon, when it will be nearest to earth. The last time it was this close to earth was in March 8, 1993; the next time, in 2029. Astrologer Richard Nolle said that the moon is activating horrific natural disasters on earth.
Super Moon: A Natural Phenomenon
The moon has an elliptical orbit, which makes full moons differ in size. When the moon is at its perigee, closest to earth, it’s approximately 31,000 miles closer to earth than when it’s in apogee, it’s farthest point. Geoff Chester, of the US Naval Observatory, calls Saturday’s lunar phenomenon a super perigee moon. Perigee moons are about 14% larger and 30% brighter than apogee ones.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a perigee full moon causes high perigean tides. Lunar gravity at perigee creates tide waters to rise from a few to six inches higher than normal. Perigee moons don’t cause natural disasters. No incidents were reported on the date of the last super moon.
Gary Becker, retired Dieruff High School, Allentown, Pennsylvania astronomy teacher, noted that the super moon will be 221,567 miles from earth. If people could put an image of a perigee moon beside an apogee one, the latter would be 1/15th of a degree smaller.
Super Moon: Astrologer’s Theory
Nolle has predicted that the phenomenon will cause natural disasters. He claims that the days of the super moon have been catastrophic and he has a list of disasters that happened on or near the lunar occurrence, including cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes. Most scientists disagree, noting that many calamities have occurred at other times.
Nolle claims that the recent Japan tragic earthquake that hit the country on March 11, 2011 was caused by the moon’s being too close to earth. Mila Mitra, Scientific Officer, Space Technology & Education Pvt. Ltd, said that the moon was nowhere near its closest point; it was nearer to its furthest one.
James Garvin, chief scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said that earth has stored a vast amount of internal energy within its outer layer and that the minor differences in lunar influences on tides aren’t enough to surpass larger forces inside this planet.
