Extra (Full Moon!) Word Sudoku Puzzle for Saturday, 3/18/2011

(photo: NASA/Goddard) NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter highlights the topography of the far side of the moon. Highest elevations up above 20,000 feet are shown in red; lowest areas down below 20,000 feet are shown in blue

This blog post is being published at noon Pacific time to coincide with the biggest full moon of the year. But there’s more going on with this full moon: It’s being called a supermoon, because the moon comes closer to the Earth than anytime in the past 18 years. If clouds aren’t in the way, today’s full moon may appear as much as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter!

I won’t even attempt to explain the orbital mechanics that makes this happen (like I understand!). Visit SPACE.com: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110318/sc_space/supermoonrisesbiggestfullmoonin18yearsoccurssaturdaynight is an article explaining what will happen, plus links to other stories about the moon; http://www.space.com/11084-supermoon-earthquake-storm-natural-disasters.html is an article discussing the possibilities that such a supermoon could possibly cause earthquakes or wake volcanoes. (But NASA downplays such claims, if you’re worried.)

I offer you three quotes about the moon, in honor of today’s event.

HACKED
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

FLAVOR
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

LOWING
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

STUMPY
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

ADVERB
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

CLUMPS
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

FROWNS
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

MIGHTY
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

CATHODES
8x8 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x4 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

RUMBLING
8x8 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x4 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

If you haven’t spent much time at SPACE.com, you should! It’s a wonderful source of information and photos explaining our universe in terms any of us can understand. Here are links to two SPACE.com infographics pictorially explaining what’s going on today with our moon.

Supermoon

Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Phases of the moon

Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Solutions to today’s extra puzzles will come about mid-day tomorrow, to give you the normal 24 hours to solve them.

Thanks,
--Dave