(Continued from page 27)

21st century on November 25, 2034 (356,446 km). The closest moon of the 21st century will fall on December 6, 2052 (356,421 km).
• Will the tides be higher than usual? Yes, all full moons bring higher-than-usual tides, and perigee full moons bring the highest (and lowest) tides of all. Each month, on the day of the full moon, the moon, Earth and sun are aligned, with Earth in between. This line up creates wide-ranging tides, known as spring tides. High spring tides climb up especially high, and on the same day low tides plunge especially low.
• Today's extra-close full moon accentuates these monthly (full moon) spring tides all the more.
• If you live along a coastline, watch for high tides caused by the May 5-6 perigee full moon - or supermoon - over the next several days. Will the high tides cause flooding? Probably not, unless a strong weather system moves into the coastline where you are. Still, keep an eye on the weather, because storms do have a large potential to accentuate high spring tides.
• As a result, if you live near a coast, you'll want to be on the lookout for higher-than-usual tides.
• Each full moon has its own name. Here's a list.
• Because the moon - as always - shines opposite the sun in our sky at full moon, you'll see the moon beaming all night tonight from dusk until dawn. This extra-close full moon is likely to usher in large tides along the ocean shorelines for the next several days, especially if these high tides are accompanied by strong onshore winds.
• Bottom line: The full moon of May 5 (or 6), 2012 is the closest and largest full moon of this year. Some will call it a supermoon.