1 00:00:00,020 --> 00:00:04,010 [slate] 2 00:00:04,030 --> 00:00:08,030 [slate] 3 00:00:08,050 --> 00:00:12,110 So a supermoon 4 00:00:12,130 --> 00:00:16,240 is the closest full moon of the year. Now what makes this particular supermoon 5 00:00:16,260 --> 00:00:20,300 coming up this weekend so special is that it's going to be the closest full moon 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,470 we've that had since 1948. So it's an opportunity to go out and see a 7 00:00:24,490 --> 00:00:28,490 beautiful show in the night sky. 8 00:00:28,510 --> 00:00:32,620 [slate] 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,690 The best time to see the supermoon is really anytime over the weekend and early into next 10 00:00:36,710 --> 00:00:40,860 week. As long as it's clear out, you're away from 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,910 tall buildings, trees and the sun has gone down 12 00:00:44,930 --> 00:00:49,000 the moon will be up in the sky. You can go out and see the supermoon. 13 00:00:49,020 --> 00:00:53,120 There's no one moment in time that you have to be outside. So if it's cloudy Saturday night 14 00:00:53,140 --> 00:00:57,270 definitely try to go out Sunday night and see it. Or even into Monday night. What will make this 15 00:00:57,290 --> 00:01:01,330 supermoon so special is that because it's going to be close, we'll have, it'll be a 16 00:01:01,350 --> 00:01:05,380 14 percent larger than the smallest full moon, but also 30 percent 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,470 brighter than the smallest full moon. So you'll see this bright, beautiful show in the show. 18 00:01:09,490 --> 00:01:13,500 [slate] 19 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,670 One of the biggest surprises 20 00:01:17,690 --> 00:01:21,890 coming back from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission - LRO - is that 21 00:01:21,910 --> 00:01:25,970 we're able to detect the changes that are occurring on the lunar surface that are occurring essentially 22 00:01:25,990 --> 00:01:30,070 today, or over the last seven years. We're seeing new impact craters that are 23 00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:34,250 forming across the lunar surface. Now the effect of these new impact craters is to 24 00:01:34,270 --> 00:01:38,280 erase surface features. And so the boot prints that were left by the Apollo astronauts 25 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:42,370 over 45 years ago are being erased at a rate much faster than we 26 00:01:42,390 --> 00:01:46,430 expected before. Before LRO we thought they'd be around for millions of years. And it turns out 27 00:01:46,450 --> 00:01:50,580 they're be erased after several tens of thousands of years. And so one of the things 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,770 that we're learning is the moon is a much more dynamic place than we knew before. And for that 29 00:01:54,790 --> 00:01:58,810 reason it's a fascinating place. 30 00:01:58,830 --> 00:02:02,840 [slate] 31 00:02:02,860 --> 00:02:07,000 One of the amazing things that we've learned recently especially for 32 00:02:07,020 --> 00:02:11,040 places like Pluto is that surfaces of planets are very dynamic. 33 00:02:11,060 --> 00:02:15,080 We never expected that Pluto would have smooth surfaces that appear to be very young. 34 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:19,190 And the reason that we think those surfaces are so young is because we've been to the moon. 35 00:02:19,210 --> 00:02:23,340 We use our understanding the moon to apply that knowledge across the solar system. So whether you're looking at 36 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,410 Pluto or Mercury, our knowledge of the moon informs how we understand how planets 37 00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:31,450 work. 38 00:02:31,470 --> 00:02:35,560 [slate] To learn more 39 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:39,710 about LRO you can go to NASA.gov/LRO. Of course you can also follow us 40 00:02:39,730 --> 00:02:43,750 on Twitter @LRO_NASA. And please post your pictures 41 00:02:43,770 --> 00:02:47,381 of the supermoon using hashtag #NASAsupermoon.