Harry
>I think everyone is looking forward to witnessing this full moon, and I
>agree that it ought to be brighter than normal. However, I don't think that
>it coinciding with the solstice has any effect on its brightness. It is true
>that the earth is closer to the sun in the winter than in the summer, but
>its perigee doesn't necessarily occur on the solstice. The increased
>brightness due to our earth-moon system being closer to the sun will be
>apparent for about 2 or 3 months during the winter.
>
>You're right also about the moon's perigee with the earth. All this will
>produce a larger, brighter moon. I just wanted to clarify that the solstice
>will have nothing to do with it as it is just the moment when the north pole
>of the earth's axis tilts furthest away from the sun.
>
>Andy Krumpe
>P19 "Great Wight"
>Seacoast of New Hampshire
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hlg@pacbell.net [SMTP:hlg@pacbell.net]
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 11:57 AM
> To: wwpotter@tscnet.com
> Subject: Super Bright Full Moon December 22
>
> On Dec. 22, 1999, watch for a super bright full moon!
> This year will be the first full moon to occur on the winter
>solstice, Dec. 22, commonly called the first day of winter. Since a full
>moon on the winter solstice occurred in conjunction with a lunar perigee
>(point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth).
> The moon will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the
>point in it's elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth) since the
>Earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the
>year than in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger
>making it brighter. Also, this will be the closest perigee of the Moon of
>the year since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming.
>
> If the weather is clear and there is a snow cover where you live, it
>is
> believed that even car headlights will be superfluous. On December
>21st,
> 1866 the Lakota Sioux took advantage of this combination of
>occurrences
> and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush on soldiers in the
>Wyoming
> Territory.
>
> In laymen's terms it will be a super bright full moon, much more
>than the usual AND it hasn't happened this way for 133 years!
> Our ancestors 133 years ago saw this. Our descendants 100 or so
>years from now will see this again.
>