Supermoon 2014: Perseid Meteor Shower To Coincide With Largest Full Moon This Year
The 2014 supermoon coming this weekend on Sunday will be the largest moon we’ll see for the rest of the year, and it just happens to coincide with the Perseid Meteor shower.
In a related report by The Inquisitr, one study claims the full moon influences our sleep patterns:
“Researchers found that the full moon and days around it caused brain activity related to deep sleep to drop by almost one-third. Melatonin levels also dipped during this time. Participants also had a more difficult time falling asleep. On average, they took five minutes longer and slept for 20 minutes less when the full moon was present.”
When a full moon makes its closest pass to the Earth, it becomes a supermoon because it is so big and bright in comparison to other full moons in the lunar cycle. Experts at NASA say the supermoon will be up to 31,000 miles closer to Earth in comparison to other full moons in 2014. If you don’t want to miss seeing a supermoon this year, then August 10 will be your last chance since NASA also says the next time a supermoon this large comes close to Earth won’t occur until September of 2015.
It just so happens this supermoon coincides near the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower on August 12 and 13. The Perseid shower peaks at about 100 meteors per hour, and occurs every year in the late summer when the Earth travels through the dust and debris left from Comet Swift-Turtle. These streaks sometimes have red, green, or yellow trails.
Meteor showers are named by scientists for the constellation where their radiant is located. In this case, Perseid originates in Perseus. The first recorded observation of the Perseid meteor shower was about 2,000 years ago. Roughly 30 meteor showers are visible every year to people on earth, and some have been occurring for about 100 years.
The only negative to the 2014 supermoon occurring during the Perseid Meteor shower is that the moon’s bright glare may outshine some of the dimmest streaks in the sky. You should also check your local weather reports to see if clouds will be obscuring your view.
