Undeniably beautiful supermoon

The event, described as “undeniably beautiful” by American space agency NASA, is due to the moon coming closer to earth than it has done for 69 years. A similar phenomenon last occurred in 1948.

The next supermoon coming so close to earth is next due on November 25, 2034.

According to NASA, the gap between the earth and the moon came close to its shortest point, known as ‘perigee,’ a distance of 356,510 km at 11.23 am (United Kingdom time) yesterday.

The online Telegraph said although last night’s supermoon was a once-in-a-generation sight, four other supermoons have already occurred in 2016, and another supermoon will be seen on December 14.

The Telegraph quoted astrologers as saying that if someone struggled to fall asleep during a supermoon, there was no need for alarm as there could have been a “perfectly scientific reason” for the insomnia.

The Telegraph said that for some, a supermoon is simply an intensified new moon or full moon, a time to focus on new beginnings, while some see them as omens of impending disaster, or a warning of something momentous coming towards us.

Apart from mythical meanings and unfounded alarmist proclamations, there are numerous reports that full moons on the whole have long been seen as having the ability to trigger emotional reactions and extreme behaviour.

The Telegraph reported that a study published in the World Journal of Surgery in 2011 found that more than 40 percent of medical staff believed lunar phases had an impact on human behaviour. In 2007, Sussex Police announced that they would put extra officers on patrol on nights when the moon was full, following research that showed “a correlation between violent incidents and full moons.”