astronomy

A Super Snow Moon Rises Over Fort Tilden

On February 19, 2019, a super snow moon occurred. I was fortunate enough to be on the beach at Breezy Point in Queens, near the Silver Gull Beach Club, when the Moon appeared at 5:49 p.m. behind the sands of the beach at Fort Tilden. We watched the moon for 10 minutes as it rose in the sky, until it disappeared behind the clouds at around 5:59.

Super snow moon over the beach at Fort Tilden, seen from near the Silver Gull Beach Club at Breezy Point.

Super snow moon over the beach at Fort Tilden, seen from near the Silver Gull Beach Club at Breezy Point.

Snow Moon 1500 2-19-2019 FT BP 114P.jpg

I took video of the moon rise, which I speeded up to 125% and set to Paul Pitman’s performance of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven (sort of obvious, but it works!).

We kept walking on the Fort Tilden beach as we headed to the bus, and watched as the supermoon changed from a bright orangeish-pink ball into a bright white moon, with the flashing lights of planes landing at Kennedy Airport crossing underneath.

Time-lapse (8 seconds) photo of supermoon with lights of planes landing at Kennedy Airport.

Time-lapse (8 seconds) photo of supermoon with lights of planes landing at Kennedy Airport.

The supermoon in all its glory, February 19

The supermoon in all its glory, February 19