On Wednesday night it will be possible to observe the phenomenon of the blue supermoon, but Miguel Gonçalves maintains that this term “has nothing to do with science, neither the term supermoon nor the blue chromatic theme.”
“Supermoon is a term that was coined by an American astrologer at the end of the 1960s, precisely to give a more scientific air to a pseudoscience that is astrology. Basically, it defines that it is a supermoon when the closest point of the orbit The times of the Moon around the Earth and the time of the full Moon are separated by a minuscule period of time, less than 110%. But that, from a scientific point of view, says nothing. This is not relevant, no It has no importance. Scientific validity, supermoon term,” he explains in statements to TSFthe Portuguese astronomer.
And the color part? “And then blue, because it was also popularly stipulated, not even from a scientific point of view, that when the moon manages to reach both full moon states in the same month, it is called a blue moon. It is rarer when there are two full moons in the same month, but from a scientific point of view, it’s a matter of celestial mechanics.”
The scientist affirms that “the Moon may seem a little brighter and bigger, but for those who are used to seeing the full Moon, they will not find big differences” and maintains that, for the community, the Moon is always “super”, because of the role it plays in all life on Earth.
“Now we know that, from a scientific point of view, we humans who are here on this planet have a lot to thank the Moon for, because it influenced how our planet rotates, the movement of the tides, how the tides they also influenced the emergence and passage of life from the oceans to the land.That’s why, from a scientific point of view, the Moon is always great.For romantics and lovers, I think it can have more specific beauty these days , but it is important to note that for scientists the Moon is always an absolutely fascinating celestial object,” he says.
In recent times, various space agencies, specifically from the United States of America, China and India, are carrying out missions to explore the Earth’s natural satellite and this, according to Miguel Gonçalves, demonstrates the importance of the celestial body. in the life of our planet. planet.
“If all this favors a greater encounter between man and the Moon, then, as a science communicator, I am already happy,” says the astronomer.
The sky will light up tonight (Wednesday to Thursday) with yet another supermoon. This is the second supermoon of the month of August, also known as a “blue moon”. This rare phenomenon will be visible all over the world and Portugal is no exception.
“The Moon passes through its closest point to Earth (perigee) and its furthest point from Earth (apogee) each month. When the Moon is closest to or near Earth at the same time that it’s full, “It’s called a supermoon. During the phenomenon, because the full moon is slightly closer to Earth than normal, it appears larger and brighter in the sky.”
Source: TSF
