People from China and other Asian regions will witness the most brilliant Moon of this year on March 28 when the full Moon will shine brighter and look rounder than ever before, according to the Academy of Astronomy in Guangdong Province.
The best time to enjoy the beauty of the Moon is at sunset on March 28, which is at 18:40-50 in Guangzhou City and its surrounding area, according to astronomers. People will sense that the Moon is extremely large as it is rises, and they will see its surface as a golden haze. Instead of having to look up, people will find the Moon parallel to the ground.
This will be a perfect gathering time for not only lovers -- "Moon rises behind the top of the willow, lovers meet after dusk" (famous line attributed to a Song Dynasty poet) -- but also families and friends.
Astronomers also say that the distance between the Moon and the Earth is 357,029 km (221,858 miles) at 16 o’clock in March 26, when the Moon is full and close to being at the nearest point to Earth in its orbit. This compares to 406,363 km (252,514 miles) at 13 o’clock in October 20, when the Moon is at its farthest point away from Earth in its orbit. That’s a difference of 49,334 km (30,656 miles), and the nearer the Moon to us, the bigger it looks. At 2:25 on March 29, the Sun, Earth and Moon will all be in a straight line and the lunar surface will fully reflect the sun’s light while it faces the Earth. That’s the why the Moon will shine brighter than ever before at that time. The night of March 28 is both "a nearest Moon" and "a full Moon" – giving us the chance to see a really bright and full Moon.
(chinanews.com.cn March 25, 2002 translated by Li Liangdu for china.org.cn)
