SUPERMOON PURIM

Topographical false-color image of the Moon’s far side, taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Higher elevations are shown in red; lower in blue. From MSNBC.

Look - up in the sky!
It’s a bird!
It’s a plane!
It’s... Supermoon!

Tonight’s full moon will be exceptional. Because the moon is at perigee - its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit - the moon’s disc will appear larger than usual. And because this particular perigee is the closest approach of Moon to Earth since 1992, it will be even larger than larger than usual. An Extreme Supermoon, so to say.

Perfect for illuminating the night as we celebrate Purim. Drunken, becostumed revelers will have an easier time stumbling home in the dark after the ritually mandated reading of Megillat Esther (the biblical Book of Esther).

Perhaps, if I get enough single malt in me, I will feel the urge to moon someone. Or - even better - a Supermoon!

[A tip o’ th’ Elisson fedora to Eric for the link.]