Supermoon wows French stargazers
Perseids meteor shower and supermoon provide celestial show for skywatchers in France and around the world
THE SKIES cleared after the weekend’s storms last night to give skywatchers across France a heaven-sent opportunity to marvel at the second “supermoon” of the year.
Many posted images on Twitter of the moon, which was 30% brighter and 14% closer to the Earth than normal full moons.
Last night, the moon was 221,765 miles from Earth - the closest it has been for 20 years.
This supermoon coincided with the annual Perseid meteor shower - which is bad news for anyone who has been hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star as the glare from the larger-than-normal moon will hide fainter meteors.
But all is not lost, Nasa has said.
Dr Bill Cooke, from the space agency’s meteoroid environment office, said that the Perseids are also “rich in fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus” that would be clearly visible despite the moon's glare.
The Perseids are due to peak tomorrow night, and and the third and final supermoon of the year is due on 9 September.
Tonight and Wednesday offer probably the best chance to see a meteor, as rain is forecast for much of the country tomorrow night.
Photo: Flora78000 / Twitter
