Experts tame worries over 'supermoon'

BEIJING - Astronomers have refuted rumors that the devastating earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan were closely related to or even caused by the "supermoon" that will appear in the sky on Saturday.

The word "supermoon" was introduced in a report by the British newspaper Daily Mail on March 9, which said amateur scientists were warning that such an astronomical phenomenon could disrupt the Earth's climate patterns and may even cause earthquakes and volcanic activity.

The moon will be 356,577 kilometers from the Earth on Saturday, the closest in 19 years, and the closest point in its oval orbit coincides with a full moon, the report said.