Drivetime with Ross Owen Williams

4:00pm - 7:00pm
Email
Now Playing: Eternal - Just A Step From Heaven
Listen Live

    Search

    Adrian Dening's Stars Over Somerset

    Wednesday, 26 July 2023 17:00

    Monday 31st July to Sunday 6th August 2023

    On the evening of Tuesday 1st August, we have a Full Moon. At 10pm, our celestial neighbour will have just risen above the horizon towards the south east.



    Nothing out there in space is a perfect circle and the Moon's orbit around us every 27 days is slightly elliptical or "egg shaped". The point where the Moon gets closest to us is known as "Perigee" and at that time it is about 225,000 miles away. The opposite point, when the Moon is furthest from us is called "Apogee" and then the Moon is about 251,000 miles from us.

    The Full Moon on 1st happens to occur very close to perigee which means that it will appear to be 14% larger and 25% brighter than a Full Moon at apogee. This is referred to as being a "Supermoon". August is also unusual in that there will be two full moons in the same month, with another on 31st August.

    Now I was never that good at maths, but if the Moon takes 27 days to orbit around us, why is it a few days longer than that between the full moons?

    While the Moon has been orbiting around us, we have been travelling in our orbit around the Sun, so all the angles will have changed and the Moon will need to travel a bit further before the sunlight falling on it fully illuminates the near side again.



    Screenshots courtesy of Stellarium
    Copyright Adrian Dening and Radio Ninesprings 2023
    www.starsoversomerset.com

    Share

    More from Community & Charity News

    • Adrian Dening's Stars Over Somerset

      Monday 10th to Sunday 16th March 2025

    • Car Free Route

      The Curry Rivel Active Travel Group has been working for several years to create a link within the village to a planned car-free route across the Somerset Levels

    • False Fire Alarms

      Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says it’s dealing with an increase in false alarm calls.

    • Fallen Leaves

      If you have fallen leaves on your property from trees in an adjoining garden, there are rules about who is responsible for cleaning them up.

    • Free Council Car Parks?

      Somerset Council has launched a review of parking charges, which could result in an end to free parking at car parks run by the Council.

    • Dog DNA

      Avon and Somerset Police are encouraging dog owners to protect their pets from theft by entering their details into a DNA doggy database.

    • Mobile Phones in Vehicles

      Somerset County Council’s road safety team is working with partners to urge drivers to keep their fixed eyes on the road.

    • Clean up our Countryside

      Two new litter-pick stations have been installed, equipped with litter pickers and reusable bags for anyone to borrow and do their own two-minute clean-up at countryside sites across South Somerset.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain shower

      High: 8°C | Low: 1°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 8°C | Low: 1°C

    Recently Played