More supermoon hype...

[Gina]

I guess it may be because people can easily see the moon with the naked eye (assuming it's not clouded out) whereas the "better stuff" needs equipment.

[carastro]

My daughter came round on the evening of the "Supermoon" and was desperate to get outside to see it when it got dark.  I said to her it won't look any different to normal, marginally larger which you won't notice.   "Well I would still like to see it she said."  she stepped outside and it was cloudy!!!

Just an example of how these bits of hyped up news affects the general public.

Carole 

 

[Stargazer McCabe]

So many times we read of people bemoaning the increase in light pollution these days. I for one may be being naive; but if the so called "hype" about things like the "Super Moon" and such like gets one more person to gaze skywards, to develop an interest in astronomy and to ultimately become one more member of the "anti light pollution" brigade - I'd consider that a good thing...

Long may Social Media and MSM encourage people to take an interest i'd say...

[Dave In Vermont]

34 minutes ago, Stargazer McCabe said:

So many times we read of people bemoaning the increase in light pollution these days. I for one may be being naive; but if the so called "hype" about things like the "Super Moon" and such like gets one more person to gaze skywards, to develop an interest in astronomy and to ultimately become one more member of the "anti light pollution" brigade - I'd consider that a good thing...

Long may Social Media and MSM encourage people to take an interest i'd say...

This merits the following response:

Well said!!

Dave 

p.s. - Feel free to add this link to your inventory:

http://www.darksky.org/

 

[ollypenrice]

Oh, I feel chastized! Perhaps rightly. But where do we draw the line? I dare say the semi-regular stuff about 'Mars being larger then the moon next month' would get people outside as well.

Olly

[Dave In Vermont]

11 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Oh, I feel chastized! Perhaps rightly. But where do we draw the line? I dare say the semi-regular stuff about 'Mars being larger then the moon next month' would get people outside as well.

Olly

Don't feel poorly, Olly. I understand, and sympathize, with your feelings. The lack of insight evident by such articles drives 'yours' truly' also drives me to madness! But Stargazer McCabe is showing the double-edged nature of "Not seeing the goodness if not for the bad."

But at least we don't buy into this proof-positive that the educational level of many could be described as appalling. Give this a go"

 

Egads!

Dave

[Stu]

6 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Oh, I feel chastized! Perhaps rightly. But where do we draw the line? I dare say the semi-regular stuff about 'Mars being larger then the moon next month' would get people outside as well.

Olly

I'm with you Olly!

Isn't it the case that talk of Supermoons on social media may get people to go out and have a look. But the likely response is...'oh look, the moon. Seems the same as normal' and they will quickly lose interest. Same as for the many damp squib meteor showers which are trumpeted (beforehand) as 'going to light up the sky' when we all know the reality, and with better descriptions could avoid the disappointment.

As Olly says, there is amazing stuff happening all the time, it doesn't need sensational headlines, just more regular and sensible reporting.

[Stub Mandrel]

As a lycanthrope, I can attest that a 14% increase in stamina, hit points and fang-length meant I had a particularly gory evening...

[johnfosteruk]

9 hours ago, Stu said:

But the likely response is...'oh look, the moon. Seems the same as normal'

I don't think so - I had 3 passers by in ten minutes saying that they'd hoped I'd be out with the scope so they could have a look. 2 of them also said something along the lines of "it is bigger isn't it"

I attribute the latter to the fact that they rarely look up and therefore don't have a feel for the scale. Whatever it may be, the hype got 3 people aware for at least one day and if they do quickly lose interest it'll only be until the next newsworthy event. That's got to be worth something.

I do agree that more regular and sensible reporting would be beneficial but any reporting as long as it's not incorrect (which this one technically isn't) is better than none.

I still won't call it a 'Supermoon' though

 

[Stargazer McCabe]

12 minutes ago, johnfosteruk said:

I don't think so - I had 3 passers by in ten minutes saying that they'd hoped I'd be out with the scope so they could have a look. 2 of them also said something along the lines of "it is bigger isn't it"

I attribute the latter to the fact that they rarely look up and therefore don't have a feel for the scale. Whatever it may be, the hype got 3 people aware for at least one day and if they do quickly lose interest it'll only be until the next newsworthy event. That's got to be worth something.

I do agree that more regular and sensible reporting would be beneficial but any reporting as long as it's not incorrect (which this one technically isn't) is better than none.

I still won't call it a 'Supermoon' though

 

Completely agree.

Even if only one of us converts one person to understanding the truth behind the so called “super moon” and possibly other issues such as LP that’s got to be a good thing surely... 

Because if that one person then converts another...

 

[johnfosteruk]

3 minutes ago, Stargazer McCabe said:

 

Because if that one person then converts another...

 

From little acorns....

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, johnfosteruk said:

From little acorns....

....'Super Acorns' grow!!!!!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist!  

Fair enough, if it got people interested who am I to knock it?

Still annoys me though!  

[Ags]

Shouldn't we get a Super-Sun once a year?

[johnfosteruk]

2 minutes ago, Ags said:

Shouldn't we get a Super-Sun once a year?

Yes but I hope the press don't hype it like they do the Moon, there'll be queues at the A&E departments.