Super moon to rise this weekend

Published: 2:20PM Friday May 04, 2012 Source: ONE News

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  Source: Reuters

The biggest full moon of the year should be visible in New Zealand skies this weekend.

The "super moon" could be up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons seen throughout the year.

The phenomenon is caused by the moon's elliptical orbit. This weekend it will be 50,000km closer to Earth than at the furthest reach of its orbit.

US space agency Nasa says the Perigee Moon, as it is also known, has been linked in folklore to a rise in hospital admissions and an increase in crime, but modern studies do not back this up.

However, higher tides than normal are expected.

The super moon is set to rise on Sunday evening at 5.23pm.

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