Business Today
Today (19th) is the Lantern Festival. The Taipei Astronomical Museum says that at 11:54 PM tonight, the year’s largest full moon will appear. This is the first time since the 20th century began that the Lantern Festival coincides with the year’s biggest full moon. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait until February 23, 2081, for the next one!
The museum points out that from the evening of the Lantern Festival through the early hours of the next morning, the moon can be viewed all night long. This year’s actual full moon moment falls at 11:54 PM. The closer it gets to midnight, the rounder and bigger the moon appears. After the full moon moment, the moon begins to shrink and gradually loses its perfect roundness.
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The museum also explains that although the full moon moment occurs then, for the Taipei area, the moon won’t actually be directly at the zenith but about 2 degrees south of it. Therefore, the seen full moon isn’t truly “full,” with only a 0.999 phase—meaning 0.1% of the edge remains unlit. However, this 0.1% difference is indistinguishable to the human eye.
The museum emphasizes that no special equipment is needed to admire the supermoon. Just find a spot where the moon is visible and enjoy it with the naked eye. Taking photos is simple too: mount your camera on a tripod, enable the “self-timer” function, and press the shutter. Those with telescopes can use them for magnified shots with even better results.
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As for the smallest full moon of the year, when will it appear? The museum says it will occur on September 14.
(Photo / Provided by Taipei Astronomical Museum)
[Reprinted with permission from Business Today. Original article: “Once in a Century: The Year’s Largest Full Moon Will Appear During the Lantern Festival”]