The super perigee moon is quite an amazing sight. According to NASA a super perigee moon occurs because of the elliptical nature of the moon’s orbit. On the perigee side, the moon is 50,000 km closer to Earth than on the other side, which is known as apogee. There are some facts to be aware of as you observe the view.
How big is it?
First you should know how much bigger it is, or at least how much bigger it appears. Of course, the moon is not actually changing size. The perigee moon appears 30% brighter and 14% bigger than other full moons. This can appear quite substantial when you are looking at it from the Earth. The best time to look at it is when it is near the horizon because it tends to look bigger at that point naturally. The combination can be stunning.
Can it trigger disasters?
Some claim that natural disasters are going to happen because of the effects of the super perigee moon, but you need not worry about that. You can ignore all of the rumors floating about the Internet. They tend to pass without any ill effects to the Earth. The moon is not so much closer that the gravity has a lot more of an effect. Slight tide changes as described below are most of the effect you will notice.
It can affect the tide, but just a little
You do not need to worry about massive floods. Yes the closeness of the moon can affect the tide, but just to a slight extent. Generally it will bring it up by an extra inch. In some places, this may be expanded to as much as six inches, however this is not nearly enough to cause massive flooding. It is likely to go unnoticed in the vast majority of cases.
How often does it occur?
A super perigee moon occurs just about every 18 years. Some of them are more perfect than others. The recent 2011 one was very close at only about 1 hour away from pedigree. Other perigee moons can be further but still look spectacular.
Super perigee moons are enjoyable to look at and are no reason for worry. They will not cause a major earthquake or flood, but will appear larger. You can use it as an opportunity to teach your children about the amazing satellite that is 356,577 km away.
Resources:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/
