Community Corner
"Supermoon" Lights Skies This Week
Astronomers say the moon will appear 16 percent larger than normal as its orbit reaches perigee — the closest point to the Earth that it can reach.
Stargazers on the island are in for a treat — if the weather cooperates.
According to astronomers at Discovery.com, the moon will officially become full on Saturday at 8:35 p.m. PDT. And because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year's biggest.
The lunar orbit is not a perfect circle, so the moon's distance from the earth varies with each revolution. The moon's average distance from Earth is 237,700 miles (382,500 km), but this week the moon will come within 221,802 miles from Earth, causing higher- and lower-than-normal tides in the Puget Sound.
Find out what's happening in Lakewood-JBLMwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The "Supermoon" might be mostly obscured by clouds and rain for much of this week, with National Weather Service forecasters predicting mostly cloudy conditions at night in Lakewood. But Sunday's forecast calls for mostly sunny during the day with a high near 65, and a partly cloudy evening, with a low around 41.
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