WeekendWire, March 19

Super Moon
The moon is one size, ok? It doesn’t get bigger...ever. A full moon looks really big on the horizon because it has earthly objects like trees and buildings to give it perspective. (I learned that in my ancient astronomy class. It is the only thing I learned since the class was in the planetarium and would typically pass out before class started.)
Having said that, it is supposed to look really big on Saturday night. It is going to be a “super moon.” That means that there will be a full moon tonight that coincides with the perigee. The moon’s orbit is an oval and the earth is not in the dead center of it. So as the moon makes its orbit, its closest point is called the perigee. The farthest point is called the apogee. Anyway, it has been 18 years since the last time the moon was full at its perigee. Some folks think that it causes bad weather (some even tried to tie the Japanese disaster to the super moon), but scientists say it doesn’t. More.

Japan Update
Perhaps better news is coming out of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. By Sunday, the embattled plan should have access to a power source after more than a week after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake knocked out power and the subsequent tsunami messed up the back-up cooling system. There is no guarantee that the power supply will start the cooling system, but it is a step in the right direction. Nuclear power plants need to be cooled to prevent radiation from seeping out. That’s what is happening now. More.
While the WSJ article says the plant is stabilizing, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said on Saturday that radiation spewing from the site is a level 5 on the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy scale, which ranges from 1 to 7. One executive wept as he disclosed the grim situation. A level 5 contamination is strong enough to kill people. More.

Libya Update
On Friday, Libya declared a cease-fire on the heels of the UN resolution to establish a no-fly zone over the north African country that has been in a state of chaos since February. Despite the cease-fire proclamation, chaos continues. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces are still pushing forward toward opposition stronghold Benghazi. A fighter jet – that Gadhafi’s forces claim was from the rebels – was shot down. Gadhafi also continues with his scary rhetoric that boils down to him saying, “Who you getting crazy with, ese? Don’t you know I’m loco?” More.

70s Reboot
Presenting the new Wonder Woman. Thoughts?