If you avoid black cats and curse when you break a mirror, then tonight’s super moon and it’s superstitious implications may have you more than a little concerned.
But fear not, Newcastle Live has spoken with none other than NBN’s weather expert Gavin Morris and he’s assured us there’s absolutely, probably… nothing to fear.
“What I can say, is that there’s no need to worry about werewolves or crazy behaviour or anything like that,” he joked.
“But the moon, especially a super moon, does have some gravitational affect on the earth.”
Expected to be 13% larger than a normal full moon, tonight’s super moon is closer to the earth than it has been since 1938 and according to experts, wont be this close again until 2034.
“The creation of a super moon is due to the perfect timing of the orbit bringing it past the earth at it’s closest point at the same time that it is also at full disc,” Gav explained.
However, while the cause of the super moon is scientific, there is also a lot of superstition that comes along with it.
“There are a lot of superstitions associated with a super moons, everything from earthquakes to wars and natural disasters,” Gav said.
“So anything that happens I’m sure will be associated with the moon somehow.
“Although, in saying that, the moon does have a gravitational pull, so if you want to get to the nitty gritty of it, the little bit of extra gravitational pull from a super moon can put pressure of things like tectonic plates that may have been ready to go anyway. In that there case can be an association with earthquakes and tsunamis.”
But before we all go running for the hills, Gav reassure us that something like that actually happening is extremely unlikely.
“The gravitational pull is there, but it is marginal, so I think the most crazy thing that will happen will be the 50 or 60,000 Sydney siders trying to get to the eastern suburbs tonight to see the moon rise across the horizon.”
Special thanks to the multi-talented Scotty Kingman – Photographer and Screaming Jets Guitarist for providing our image.
Check out all his work at http://www.kingmanproductions.com.au
