The best 2016 supermoon photo we've seen yet took several years of planning (ISS in front of moon)

[Quackers]

The largest moon of the year, called the supermoon, shined its biggest and brightest in nearly 70 years early Monday morning.

Supermoons happen when the moon's wonky elliptical orbit lines up perfectly with the Earth and the sun. On November 14, this dance of orbital physics brought the moon to within 222,000 miles of Earth — 30,000 miles closer than its most distant point — during its full lunar phase. That made our celestial neighbor appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than normal, according to NASA.

Photographers all over the world have published fantastic images of the event. However, one photo in particular, which we first saw at NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day site, stuck out above the rest:



More at link:
http://www.businessinsider.com/supermoon-best-image-2016-11

[marybourg]

1. It's actually called

the "perigee full moon". "Supermoon" is a term from astrology picked up by the needy media.

[Nitram]

5. Oh, c'mon mary, it's a great way to interest the average person in the phenomenon.

I applaud the media for encouraging people to be aware of if and understand the reasons for it. You don't need scientific jargon to accomplish that. In fact, it often gets in the way. If we're unhappy about that, we shpuld push for improved science education K-13.

[marybourg]

6. Agree with everything you say.

Next step is to learn the real names. "Perigee" means something, and learning what is interesting and may lead to learning something else.

Another issue is disappointment and disillusionment after silly media hype like "strawberry" moon and "huge" Mars. This may lead to the same kind of cynicism and rejection of science that we're seeing in other spheres (pun intended).

[Nitram]

7. I find poetic folk terms for natural phenomena charming and poetic. Lighten up a little?

I suspect anybody who is open to science very quickly learned something new about the relationship between the orbits of the moon and the sun if they took the time to read an article under a headline about the super moon. Don't blame the media for expressing things in language the average person can understand instead of providing a dry lecture about the meaning of the term "perigee."

[petronius]

2. Looks like a squadron of TIE fighters. Are we sure that's a moon?

[Quackers]

3. Of course it's the moon!

[krispos42]

4. I'd hate to be the guy that had to paint on the camouflage

Oy.