BRILLIANT MOON IS CLOSER TO EARTH

The moon isn't getting any bigger, but it has gotten closer.

Changes in the orbits of the moon and Earth have brought them nearer to each other than usual. It happens about every 133 years, said Mike Cobb, a physics professor at Southeast Missouri State University.

Because the orbits of the two planets are elliptical, and not circular, the Earth and the moon alter their proximity to each other over time, Cobb said. Right now they are as close as they're going to get, he said.

With the Earth closer to the sun and the moon nearer to Earth, the moon also appears brighter than normal. This happens because the shine of the moon comes from its reflection of sunlight.

"So right now we sort of get a double whammy," Cobb said.

A closer moon has a noticeable effect on natural processes. Typically the tides change during new and full moon periods when the gravitational pull of the moon is strongest, Cobb said.

Besides making the tides roll, the moon moves the Earth, he said.

A 4-inch swelling of the Earth's crust is a result of the moon's gravitational pull, Cobb said. The swelling takes place in the bedrock below the surface.

Haven't noticed it? Almost no one could, Cobb said, since the effect is spread out over the whole curving face of the Earth. But it's still taking place every 12 hours, he said.

Dennis Dolan hasn't noticed the Earth move, but he does see more calls at the Cape Girardeau Police Department during full moons.

Whether the weather impacts police work is not a question, Dolan said. Storms increase accidents, and higher temperatures make people more irritable, he said.

But spring is the busiest season.

"When temperatures are in the teens and colder, it cuts down on calls," Dolan said. "But in the spring, people start to open their windows at night. They start to hear more noises, whether its barking dogs, people yelling or tires squealing, and they call us."

Debbie Litzelfelner hasn't heard an unusual number of barking dogs now that the full moon is closer.

"We're not here at night to really know, but the animals haven't been acting strange," said Litzelfelner, director of the Southeast Missouri Humane Society. "But it does seem like the people we see are getting stranger."