Tag Archives: Super Moon

Buenas tardes, oddlings!

It’s Cinco de Mayo, and while many of you think that means tequila shots and pinatas, the fifth of May actually commemorates the Battle of Puebla. This 1862 battle was a Mexican victory during  the Franco-Mexican War, which took place from 1861-1867.

The holiday is a fairly minor one in Mexico, but here in the United States it has become quite the event, celebrating the Mexican culture and heritage.

The Battle of Puebla is an interesting story, and I highly recommend reading more about it on Mexonline.com.

Aside from mariachi music, you might hear oohs and aahs tonight over the Super moon. The term “super moon” simply means that a full moon occurs at or near the time when the moon is closest to Earth on its non-circular orbit. This is called perigee, and it places the moon at 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) away from Earth.

Added bonus tonight? There’s a meteor shower from Hailey’s Comet that is set to peak as well! This is the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower and promises up to 60 meteors per hour for skywatchers with clear weather and away from city lights. Brooklynites might have a tough time peaking the Eta Aquarid, since we have so much light pollution and today’s weather makes the sky look like a gauzy grey curtain. But Bubo promises that the Super moon’s 30% brightness increase will shine through.

If you’re in a similar situation, fear not! You can access views from NASA’s all-sky cameras for the Eta Aquarid meteor shower remotely here: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/allsky.html

Our last Super moon was in March 2011, so get outside tonight and tilt your eyes to the skies. Bring a margarita outside with you and toast those brave Mexican fighters who won the Battle of Puebla. Silas is making us sizzling fajitas and we are dining on the Widow’s Walk by Super moon light.

As most of you, we experienced a Super Moon. The moon was 221,565 miles away, the closest it’s been to the Earth since 1993.

Did you feel the pull?

Did you run into any werewolves?

Bubo flew all night long; she traveled across Prospect Park and swooped south, skimming the sand at Coney Island. She met up with friends in The Green-wood Cemetery and when she came home, just before dawn, she was glistening with dew and moon bits.

I sat on the Widow’s Walk, basking in the moonlight, trying to identify constellations in the bright glow of this Super Moon. It made me smile to see so many people step outside and stop on the sidewalks to stare at the moon. We need to stop and stare at the moon more often, super or not.

Bubo apparently had very vivid dreams. While I herded the worms in the rain-soaked garden this morning, Bubo sat on my shoulder and told me her dreams. Have you ever heard the dreams of a great horned owl? If you have, then you know what my day has been like.