Apr 3 2020 - That Moon Magic

The moon this morning was pink.  And it was big.  It is a Super Pink Moon event on April 7th.  The preview I saw this morning tells me it is worth going out to see when it is fully out.  The name comes from pink wildflowers - creeping phlox - that bloom in early spring.  Other names for an April full moon include Sprouting Grass, Egg, and Fish moon, all names that supposedly evoke thoughts of early spring - fish?. This year’s super pink moon is also a paschal moon because of its closeness to Easter, which is April 12. The supermoon we had in March is called a Worm Moon. I thought you might enjoy this from the article, written March 30th.  The author seems to have missed the current situation's scope: 'staying at home' isn't 'for those' but is 'for all': "For those staying at home, April will bring a number of other moon- and stargazing events to see outside at night. This Friday, Venus will be visible near a cluster of stars called the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, according to Alan MacRobert at Sky & Telescope. And as Brian Lada writes for AccuWeather, the Lyrids meteor shower peaks on April 22 and 23." What a time  to buy a telescope online and get started.  There are 13 full moons, 2 supermoons, and a Halloween blue moon.  In no time, you will be referring to the supermoon by its astronomical name: “perigee-syzygy.” Here are some Supermoon jokes: Supermoon cancelled as moon distances itself from earth The Supermoon was ok.  But according to Rotten Tomatoes, still is better than Supermoon vs Batmoon.  What do you call it when Clark Kent shows someone his butt? Supermoon Don't forget, tonight the moon will be visible from earth.  The last time this happened was last night. These popped up on Pinterest.  I wonder how they are related to the supermoon.     Another train day, this one in the tropics.

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Whither the Worms

Spring will happen tomorrow at 5:58pm, and that night there will be a full moon, and it will be a supermoon.  Our chances of a good viewing of March's full moon, called the Full Worm Moon, are considered poor.  Supposedly the name of the Full Worm Moon comes from the ground softening enough for earthworm casts to reappear, inviting robins and birds to feed, a true sign of spring - this from the Old Farmer's Almanac. The first Almanac wouldn't have had this information, it was published in 1792.  That was before earthworms came to North America.   There are only two native worms in Ontario, although there are 19 known species.  That makes 17 varieties of invasive worms. The 'earthworms' we are familiar with arrived from Asia and Europe about two hundred years ago in the ballast of ships.  A square meter of soil can support 2,000 worms.  Studies are finding that they are predators of native seeds. They 'devour' the leaf litter layer much more rapidly than native decomposers.  Our native plants and insects rely on a thick protective layer of decaying leaves.  Here are a few worm jokes: What do you call it when worms take over the world?  Global Worming!  Two silk worms challenged each other in a race It ended in a tie. What's the difference between Donald Trump and a worm? One of them is a slimy, loathsome creature incapable of complex thought, the other one actually shows up when it rains. This Donald Trump joke popped up along the way:   A man died one day and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him. He asked, "What are all those clocks?" St. Peter replied, "Those are lie clocks. Everyone on earth has a lie-clock. Every time you lie the hands on the clock will move." "Oh," said the man as he pointed at one of them, "Whose clock is that?" St. Peter replied, "That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie." "That's incredible, " said the man. St. Peter pointed to another clock, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe only told two lies in his entire life." The man was impressed, and then asked, "Where's Donald Trump's clock?" St. Peter said, "His clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan."

What is perigee-syzygy?

The Supermoon was seen two days ago.  There were beautiful pictures of it.  It was a big moon in the sky here. The term used for this is perigee syzygy.  This term seems a bit weird and crazy.  It is a technical term originating from the Greek words sun and to yoke: "The technical term for a Supermoon is perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. In astronomy, the term syzygy refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies. When the Moon is close to the lunar nodes of its path during syzygy, it causes a total solar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse." You can find out about the Antumbra, the Penumbra and the Umbra at timeanddate.com - great words too.   I expected to do a searching and find all kinds of crazy products and websites.  It turns out to not be the case - there is  Perigee Syzygy - a Mountain Town Brew - it's a double style beer.  And there's some 'moonstone' jewellery.   Our next two super moons will be January 1st and January 31st. So for the next one, most astronomers suggest watching the supermoon right after sunset and into moonrise, and minutes before the next sunrise as well. If you want to see wonderful pictures of super moons - here's the forbes.com article.   My abstract comes from a picture of a lemon with the Flaming Pear Flood Filter applied.