Early Monday morning, the moon will orbit closer to the Earth than at any point since Howdy Doody ruled the airwaves and Peggy Lee topped the pop charts singing about “Manana.”
The so-called supermoon — the scientific term is “perigean full moon” — will be visible from sunset today until sunrise.
The moon will reach perigee — its closest point in relation to Earth — at exactly 1:23 a.m. Hawaii time. At 3:52 a.m., the moon will reach the crest of its monthly full phase.
At its closest point, about 221,524 miles away, the moon will appear about 7 percent bigger and nearly 15 percent brighter than a typical full moon, according to Astronomy Magazine Senior Editor Richard Talcott.
The moon has not been this close to Earth since Jan. 26, 1948, when it approached within 221,494 miles.
The moon will not orbit this close to Earth again until Nov. 25, 2034, when the distance between the two will shrink to 221,485 miles.
Monday’s supermoon will be most distinguishable by its brightness. It will appear to be at its largest just before dawn — a common optical illusion created by its seeming proximity to objects on the horizon.
HAWAII ISLAND
Man who threatened his family acquitted on insanity grounds
A Hawaii island man who held his wife and children at gunpoint last year has been acquitted by reason of insanity.
Ben Lucas Domingo, 42, of Volcano was committed to the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe.
Circuit Judge Glenn Hara made the ruling Thursday in Hilo after conducting a nonjury trial, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
Hara said there is no doubt that Domingo is guilty of kidnapping, terroristic threatening, violating a protective order and being a felon in possession of a firearm. But the judge added that Domingo “lacks the capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law.”
Domingo held his wife, Nicole, and two children, 14 and 12, at gunpoint during a domestic dispute at the family’s Mokuna Street home on Sept. 4, 2015. At the time, Domingo was under a court order not to contact, threaten or harm his wife.
After all-night negotiations, he surrendered to police the next morning.
MAUI
White and Carroll to continue in Council leadership positions
Mike White will continue as chairman of the Maui County Council and Robert Carroll will serve as vice chairman during the 2017-2019 Council term, which begins Jan. 2.
The Council announced last week that Riki Hokama will continue to serve as head of the Budget and Finance Committee and Carroll will continue to lead the Land Use Committee. Other leadership roles are being finalized, White said.
“The Council has much to do in the coming months, from continuing to tackle affordable housing, homelessness and water issues, just to name a few,” Carroll said in a statement.
