NASA Scientist Explains Science Behind 'Supermoon' Phenomenon

SPACE.com Staff,
Space.com – Mon Mar 14, 2:30 pm ET

This story was updated at 2:25 p.m. ET.

The tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan Friday (March 11) set the Internet abuzz with the idea that the moon, which will be at its fullest of the year on March 19, played a role in the devastating natural disaster. 

The seed for the idea was planted by an astrologer, who contended that this large full moon – a so-called "supermoon"– would touch off natural disasters like the Japan earthquake since the moon would make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years. Scientists, however, dismissed the notion entirely and now a top NASA scientist is weighing in. [Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in Pictures]

In a statement released Friday, noted NASA scientist Jim Garvin explains the mechanics behind the moon's phases and the causes of the supermoon. Garvin is the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"'Supermoon' is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon," Garvin wrote in the NASA statement. "So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times." [Photos: Our Changing Moon]

The full moon of March will occur next Saturday on March 19, when the moon will be about 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away from Earth. The average distance between the Earth and the moon is about 238.000 miles (382.900 km).

"It is called a supermoon because this is a very noticeable alignment that at first glance would seem to have an effect," Garvin explained. "The 'super' in supermoon is really just the appearance of being closer, but unless we were measuring the Earth-Moon distance by laser rangefinders (as we do to track the LRO [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter] spacecraft in low lunar orbit and to watch the Earth-Moon distance over years), there is really no difference."

It was astrologer Richard Nolle who linked the full moon of March 19 to natural disasters. He claimed that this "supermoon" would trigger massive earthquakes, volcanoes and powerful storms when it arrived.  But scientists assure that this is not the case. ['Supermoon' Did Not Cause Japan Earthquake and Tsunami]

Garvin, for example, said the moon's effects on Earth have been the subject of extensive studies.

"The effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor, and according to the most detailed studies by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists, the combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its 'full moon' configuration (relative to the Earth and sun), should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth since there are lunar tides every day," Garvin wrote.

But while the moon helps drive Earth's tides, it is not capable of triggering devastating earthquakes.

"The Earth has stored a tremendous amount of internal energy within its thin outer shell or crust, and the small differences in the tidal forces exerted by the moon (and sun) are not enough to fundamentally overcome the much larger forces within the planet due to convection (and other aspects of the internal energy balance that drives plate tectonics)," Garvin explained.

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Gnomeo & Juliet

Gnômeo & Juliet is a 2011 animated family film loosely based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on February 11, 2011...(Malaya dengarnye akan kuar pada 24 Mac ni..)

Plot (Spoiler Alert!)


Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet (Julie Walters and Richard Wilson) (two elderly people who despise each other) exit their houses, and the garden objects come alive in the Blue and Red sections. Later, both blue and red gnomes attend a lawnmower race. Representing the blues is Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and representing the reds is Tybalt (Jason Statham). During the race, it looks like Gnomeo is winning; however, Tybalt cheats and wins the race, destroying Gnomeo's lawnmower. Gnomeo and his best friend Benny (Matt Lucas) insult Tybalt for cheating, but Tybalt ignores them.

Later that night, Gnomeo and Benny, wanting revenge, infiltrate the red garden in disguise, intending to spray the reds' lawnmower. With Tybalt sleeping and Tybalt's best friend, Fawn (Ozzy Osbourne), playing cards with small red gnomes (who are beating him), it looks like there are no flaws, until Benny foolishly sprays Tybalt's well and accidentally triggers a security light in the process, alerting the red gnomes to attack. Fortunately, both escape however Gnomeo ends in a different garden. He then bumps into the daughter of Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine), who is called Juliet (Emily Blunt).

Both attempt to get the Orchid to make each other's garden look more beautiful, falling in love in the process. While each other tries to take the Orchid from them, they discover they are from opposing clans. When they both go back to the gardens, Juliet tells her friend Nanette (Ashley Jensen) much to her surprise. Gnomeo and Juliet then have secret meetings in a secret garden, where they meet pink plastic flamingo Featherstone (Jim Cummings).

He supports and encourages their love, and the two begin to meet regularly. Though when the two of them are getting ready for a date, Juliet's father introduces her to Paris (Stephen Merchant), a red gnome that Nanette has fallen for, though Juliet manages to get away. Later, when the two return back to their gardens, Gnomeo finds his mother (Maggie Smith), who is distraught after the reds infiltrated the garden and destroyed the plant Gnomeo's deceased father planted. The blues want Gnomeo to take revenge on the reds, but he realizes he can't refuse unless he tells his secret. He tunnels underneath to reach the red garden, but as he is about to spray the prized flowers of the reds, Juliet sees him.

He backs out suddenly, telling Benny that the nozzle on the spraying bottle was jammed. When he and Juliet meet up again, they briefly argue until Featherstone stops them, telling them that other peoples' hate destroyed his love, as 2 people in the house where the garden was had argued and divorced, where Featherstone and his wife had been separated. After he has explained, Gnomeo and Juliet apologize, though when they are about to kiss, Benny sees them, distracts them, then runs into the alleyway, where Tybalt is waiting-with his lawnmower. Tybalt drives at Benny and knocks his hat clean off. Tybalt fights Gnomeo on his lawnmower, but is destroyed when crashing into a wall. Fawn begins to aim objects at Gnomeo, but Juliet, to the surprise of her father and clan, defends Gnomeo, saying that she loves him.

A woman suddenly jogs along so all gnomes have to become still. Gnomeo ends up on a road and everyone believes he was run over by a car. Juliet's father then glues her to her fountain because he does not want to lose her like her mother. Shroom is left alone and goes on the road, where he realizes that what was run over was a blue teapot and that Gnomeo is still alive and avoided being run over by climbing onto a truck. Gnomeo eventually ends up in a park, and climbs onto a statue of William Shakespeare (Sir Patrick Stewart) and tells him his story. Shakespeare then tells Gnomeo that his story is very similar to Romeo and Juliet and that it is likely Gnomeo's will have a sad ending as well.

Shroom and Featherstone come to find him. Benny, meanwhile, buys a large lawnmower online to get revenge on the Red Gnomes, despite Shroom trying to convince him that Gnomeo was still alive, but it goes out of control, destroying most of the two gardens. Gnomeo makes it back to Juliet to try to un-glue her, but he is unable to. She tells him to go but he refuses, and the two share a kiss just as the lawnmower crashes into the fountain and everyone believes that both Gnomeo and Juliet are dead. Lord Redbrick and Lady Blueberry, both realizing that their feud was responsible for this, decide to call a truce. Suddenly, both Gnomeo and Juliet climb out of the rubble and are both fine. The movie ends happily with the two of them getting married.




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