We are in for a treat this week with the so called Flower Super Moon rising into our evening skies on Wednesday and Thursday. Technically, it isn’t quite a full moon until the early hours of Thursday morning, but this timing gives us a chance to see it ‘as good as full’ over the two evenings.
This evening (6th March) it will rise just after 19:30hrs, and by sunset it will be just 10° up in the east southeastern sky. You can measure 10° by outstretching your arm and and then turning your palm so your fingers run parallel to the horizon. The width of your palm will be approximately 10° .
Photo Credit: Juliette W. Gregson PhotographyIt will look a spectacular sight as it rises in a pink sky, which is known as the Belt of Venus. Look out for the dark grey band underneath the pink belt, as this is the shadow of the Earth, and it will eventually rise above the moon and blend in with the rest of the sky.
On Thursday evening the moon will rise much later, 10 minutes after sunset in fact. This will present an amazing opportunity for anyone lucky enough to have a clear view of the southeastern horizon to see it rising. When a full moon is seen rising close to a landscape, it can look much bigger than it normally does when it is high in the sky, but this is caused by an optical illusion.
The Flower moon is slightly smaller than March’s Worm moon, and the last Super Moon of the year.
