KOLKATA, March 12 � The moon will look bigger, may be 16 percent larger, on March 19 when the full moon will be closest to the earth in the last 18 years, offering a special treat for the skygazers, reports PTI.
Moon goes round the earth in an elliptic orbit and that makes it come closer to the blue planet, the closest point being termed as the perigee, MP Birla Planetarium director DP Duari said.
The average distance between the moon and the earth is around 3,84,440 kms. �But at the perigee, the distance can be close to around 3,57,000 km,� he said.
�On March 19, in addition to being a full moon, it will also be at the perigee and the earth-moon distance will be around 3,56,577 kms, which is the closest in the past 18 years,� he said.
�The last time moon was close to the earth on a full moon day was on March 8, 1993,� Duari said.
Rubbishing speculations that the closeness of the moon, also known as the �super moon,� will lead to severe storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and natural disasters, the planetarium
director said, �Given the decrease in the distance, which is imperceptibly small, it is believed that there is nothing to fear about the moon coming closer.�
However, he quoted the scientists to say that there may be a marginal increase in tidal action, but was not dangerous for triggering a major natural calamity.
