Saturday Night Special

If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers. The moon will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009, according to NASA. (A similar setup occurred in December, making that month's full moon the largest of 2008.)

This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon from Native American folklore. The full moon's of each month are named. January's is also known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

If you have other plans for Saturday night, take heart. You can see all this on each night surrounding the full moon, too, because the moon will be nearly full, rising earlier Friday night and later Sunday night.

We are so accustomed to seeing the moon that we often do not take the time to appreciate its uniqueness and beauty. Here in Glenville the forecast calls for partly cloudy so we may be able to see the full moon in its glory. The temperatures will be in the 20's so the wife and I will probably forego the blanket on the ground with a bottle of wine and gourmet cheese!

The photo below shows a jet takes off from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as the enlarged full moon rises in the background on December 12, 2008.