The tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan on Friday (March 11) set the Internet abuzz with the false notion that the moon, which will be at its fullest of the year on March 19, played a role in the devastating natural disaster. The seed for the idea was planted by an astrologer, who contended that this large full moon – a so-called "supermoon"– would touch off natural disasters like the 8.9-magnitude Japan earthquake and subsequent tsunami since the moon would make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years. Scientists, however, dismissed the suggestion entirely and now a top NASA scientist is weighing in.In a statement released Friday, noted NASA scientist Jim Garvin explains the mechanics behind the moon's phases and the causes of the supermoon. Garvin is the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The supermoon phenomenon refers to the time when the moon is at its closest to Earth – or perigee – of its orbit around the planet. On Saturday, March 19, the moon will be about 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away from Earth. Here is Garvin's insight into the supermoon phenomena as provided in a NASA statement:
Read MoreMarch Madness is coming this week, from the Moon A week from Saturday will be the night of the full moon for the month of March. But this won't be just any full moon, according to the all-knowing source we know as the Internet. For weeks stories have circulated about the potential effects of this next full moon referred to as a "supermoon" or in one article forwarded to me by a colleague as "Moonageddon."...
Did the supermoon do it? Scientists debate if lunar phenomenon caused tsunami Japan's giant tsunami has revived one of amateur meteorologists' favorite theories: the effects of the supermoon. The supermoon is a phenomenon that takes place when the moon is closest to the Earth, astrologer Richard Nolle said....
