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Why will the Moon be closer to Earth for the first time in 992 years? - Walla! technology

2023-01-20T17:03:50.072Z


The astronomical phenomenon will occur on the night of the Chinese New Year, and in fact it is the closest point to our planet since the year 1030 (356,568 km from us). Why is this happening?


will be 356,568 km away from us. The moon (Photo: screenshot/NASA)

On Saturday, January 21, the moon will be exactly 356,568 km from Earth. According to a report on Timeanddate.com, this is the closest point to our planet since 1030 - the time of the Crusades, the Norman conquest of Britain and the early Viking settlements in North America , a century ironically sometimes called the "Dark Ages."



So why would the Moon be so close to us? Our natural satellite in space—which would be completely invisible during the cosmic event, leaving a dark sky for stargazers—would be less distant from Earth than it had been in 992 years The so-called "supermoon" (the closest point to the Earth in its orbit) - the opposite of a "micromoon" (apogee) -

is indeed a very rare event, but it is part of a normal pattern

.



The peculiarity of the moon this weekend was noticed by astrophysicist Graham Jones at Timeanddate.com, who examined the closest distances of the Earth to the moon at a new moon in two thousand years.

He discovered three events where the distance was less than 356,570 km - in 1030, this weekend and 2368.

Full moon in Jerusalem August 14, 2019 (Photo: Reuven Castro)

According to experts, the upcoming effect of the moon on our tides will be especially strong.

Combined with the influence of the Sun on the same side of the Earth, the result will be powerful tides in coastal areas between January 20-25, peaking on January 23.



Also, although there will be nothing to observe in the sky, the astronomical phenomenon is culturally significant because it takes place at the beginning of the Chinese New Year (which begins on the night of the birth of the moon) and the "Year of the Rabbit".

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Source: walla

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