Celestial Events Make for a Long, Bright Night

A series of celestial coincidences that hasn’t occurred on the same day in more than a century will make the moon appear somewhat larger and brighter than usual Wednesday, which could encourage Ventura County sky watchers to head to the mountains and local surfers to crash through the nighttime waves.

As the full moon rises at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday, it will be within hours of its perigee, or the point where it is closest to the Earth in its elliptical orbit. That will make it appear larger--and brighter--in the night sky.

The full moon and perigee coincide with the winter solstice, when the sun appears at its southernmost point in the sky, producing the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The three events will occur on the same day, Greenwich Mean Time, for the first time since 1866. They fall within 10 hours of each other, which is the closest together they have been in a century and a half.

Additionally, the phenomena occur near the time when the Earth is closest to the sun, or perihelion, which occurs in early January.

But what do all of these coincidences add up to for scientists? Not much, agree two Ventura County astronomy and physics instructors.

“There is no real science that’s going to come out of this,” said Paul Stanley, who teaches physics at California Lutheran University. “In no way does it herald any fabulous thing.”

Most folks won’t even notice the phenomenon, he said. This full moon won’t appear dramatically brighter than any other. But “that’s not to say it won’t look nice. . . . There will be a very nice, bright moon.”

Ron Wallingford, who teaches astronomy at Moorpark College, said nothing is planned for the event in the Moorpark area. Some people will probably hike into the mountains to bask in the moonlight, but nothing more, he said. In fact, bright moons interfere with stargazing, and astronomers prefer a new moon that doesn’t dim the stars.

Those who do venture out will more easily view details in the moon’s light areas, called highlands, and its dark areas, called maria, Wallingford said. Some may even see a crater or two, rarely visible to the naked eye, he said.

The National Weather Service calls for clear skies through Wednesday night, which should make for good moonlight-basking conditions.

Perhaps the most significant event to come from such a celestial event occurred in 1866, when Lakota Sioux used the bright moon to their advantage and launched an attack on soldiers who were guarding a road that led to Montana gold mines.

Wallingford said “nothing cataclysmic will happen” this time, “although I think some of those millennium groups would like something to happen.”

Significant or not, the celestial coincidences do add up to some fun facts. The moon at perigee will appear 14% larger and 7% brighter than a full moon when it is farthest from the Earth, astronomers say. And the moon’s proximity to the Earth will swell tides by as much as a foot above usual, Wallingford said.

When the tides recede, tidal pools should be teeming with life, he said, because the water level will be higher and will carry more marine life than on other days of the month.

There’s a chance that the phenomenon could bring human life to the shores as well. Although surfers rarely ride Ventura County’s waves at night, Ryan Imrie, who works at Anacapa Surf and Sport in Port Hueneme, thought a few might brave the dark waters.

“I would assume, if there’s any waves, someone’s going to surf,” he said.

Imrie, who has surfed at night, said he might give it a shot if the swells look good.

Others will use the winter solstice--which occurs at 11:44 tonight local time--as a time for reflection.

An Ojai spiritual group called Meditation Mount will celebrate the full moon at 8 tonight with a meditation session. The meeting is open to the public.

The group, in what Cal Lutheran’s Stanley calls an age-old tradition that dates at least to the builders of Stonehenge, uses the moon as a calendar to meditate and tap spiritual energy.

The organization meets every full moon, said Marilyn Mueller, who lives on the the group’s scenic grounds at the end of Reeves Road, 1 1/2 miles east of downtown Ojai.