The beginning of tonight (14) will bring a gift that can be accompanied at the Planetarium of Rio de Janeiro, in Gávea, south of the city. It is the Supermoon, a phenomenon that occurs every time it is closer to Earth and it will appear bigger and brighter. To receive students and people interested in admiring the phenomenon, the Planetarium has prepared a free program, starting at 18:00, for observation of the sky. Doubts can be clarified by astronomers who will accompany the session.
“The Supermoon happens when the Full Moon or New Moon coincides with perigee, which is the point in the orbit where the Moon is closest to Earth. Everything that is closer appears bigger and brighter. And this is what happens to the Moon during a full supermoon,” commented Planetarium astronomer Leandro Guedes.
It is precisely because of the proximity, that during a Supermoon the satellite gets a little bigger and a little brighter than what happens with a Full Moon considered normal. The difference, however, cannot be seen with the naked eye. “It is necessary to photograph the Moon before and after to see the difference in size and brightness”, he informed.
Although it is free, entry to the Planetarium is subject to space availability. The 100 tickets for entry will be distributed 30 minutes before the opening for the activity. “Sky observation depends on weather conditions, and can be canceled if the weather is cloudy or rainy,” he said.
