Biggest Supermoon to Occur in November 2016

Nigerians and indeed the rest of the world are in for an incredible astronomical show on Sunday and Monday November 13 and 14, 2016 – and one, which would not appear again until 2034.

The term supermoon has entered popular consciousness in recent years. Originally a term from modern astrology for a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit, supermoon now refers more broadly to a full moon that is closer to Earth than average.

According to EarthSky, on November 14, 2016, the Moon will be the closest to Earth it s been since January 1948. During the event, it will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon.

Meanwhile, Nigerians were startled by the harvest moon, which was out in full force as it coincided with an eclipse on Saturday September 17, 2016, night. It took a phone call to The Guardian on Saturday night for the establishment to witness the spectacle and take photos.

The spectacle was visible to naked eye from Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe but not North, South America and stunning photos from across globe showed enormous and brighter-than-normal phenomenon.

It happened between 7.54 p.m. and 8.04 p.m. The moon was growing bigger, glowing in bright yellowish-brown colour with black clouds gathering around it.

Also, scientists have found that fuel of the future could soon be generated from human waste.

Researchers have developed a way to turn sewage into biocrude oil, using a process known as hydrothermal liquefaction to produce a material similar to the petroleum pumped from the ground.

According to the researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the resulting biocrude oil can then be refined with conventional petroleum refining operations. And, they say future systems using the technology could make for sustainable wastewater operations, with zero net energy, zero odours, and zero residuals.

Also, researchers are finding that there is more potential solar and wind power on the continent than previously thought — as much as 3,700 times the current total consumption of electricity.

This has all led to a surging interest in green power. Researchers are mapping the best places for renewable-energy projects. Forward-looking companies are investing in solar and wind farms. And governments are teaming up with international-development agencies to make the arena more attractive to private firms.

The future could look very different from today’s electricity industry. Experts say that Africa is likely to have a blend of power-delivery options. Some consumers will get electricity from a grid, whereas people in rural areas and urban slums — where it is too remote or too expensive to connect to the grid — might end up with small-scale solar and wind installations and minigrids.