Deflated Supermoon

Bad Astronomy
By Phil Plait
May 7, 2012 3:25 PMNov 20, 2019 3:55 AM

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Well, now I feel bad: when I deflated the Supermoon stuff over the weekend, I swear I didn't mean it literally!

This amazing shot was taken by astronaut André Kuipers from the International Space Station on May 5, 2012, as the perigee full Moon set behind the Earth's limb. The Earth's atmosphere bends light from the Moon, acting like a lens, pushing the bottom part of the Moon up into the top. Science once again saves me from embarrassment. I was pretty sure the Moon wouldn't take it personally. Image credit: ESA/NASA


Related Posts: - The Moon is flat! - Squishy Moonrise seen from space - The Moon, waxing poetic - Sunsets are Quite Interesting

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