Written by Alexa Erickson
The moon is something we see on a regular basis, as it brightens up the dark night sky, reminding us of the incredible universe outside of our planet. NASA scientists have been studying the mystery and power of the moon for decades, and have determined its ability to provide them with a better understanding of what is happening on other planets and objects within the solar system. According to Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, the moon is “the Rosetta Stone by which we understand the rest of the solar system.”
For more than seven years, LRO has been mapping the moon’s surface and capturing high resolution images to help scientists learn more about our planet’s history, while also helping them to better understand and provide the public with more in-depth knowledge of planetary objects that exceed the Earth-moon system.
“Because we have the Apollo samples, we can tie what we see from orbit to those surface samples and make inferences about what has happened to the moon throughout its lifetime,” Petro explained. “The samples tell us how old certain lunar surfaces are, and based on the number of impact craters on those surfaces, we can estimate the ages of the rest of the moon. Furthermore, we can then apply those models to estimate the ages of surface on other planets in our solar system — all by studying the moon!”
Every full moon, people embrace the beauty, the power and the unavoidable energy it brings on an astronomical and astrological level. Even just a simple picture can be so insanely breathtaking.
The anticipation of the November supermoon proved abundant, as the moon offered a massive, luminous sight to behold thanks to the Earth’s lunar friend being closer than usual, resulting from its elliptical orbit around our planet.
The perigee of this orbit is about 30,000 miles closer to Earth than the apogee, which is the farthest point in the orbit. A supermoon can be as much as “14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an apogee full moon,” according to NASA. But November’s supermoon was significantly extraordinary because it marks the closest the full moon has been to the Earth since 1948.
NASA called it an “extra-super moon” that won’t occur again until 2034, when it will be even closer to the Earth than it is now.
On a very basic level, the idea of just viewing this historical moon proved jaw-dropping, with photographers from around the world showing up to snap some sensational images.
Here are some of the best shots taken of the intense November supermoon that will make you relish in its beauty as well as the many environments and landmarks that exist around our world:
Beijing, China:
Associated Press
Glastonbury, England:
Reuters
New York, New York:
Associated Press
Hanau, Germany:
Reuters
Beijing, China:
Associated Press
London, England:
Cordoba, Spain:
Associated Press
Gauhati, India:
Associated Press
London, England:
Reuters
Sydney, Australia:
Reuters
Cannon Ball, North Dakota:
South El Monte, California:
Associated Press
New York, New York:
Reuters
Baikonur, Kazakhstan:
Reuters
Sapporo, Japan:
Reuters
Originally posted @ Collective Evolution