Stargazers are in for a treat tonight as the Buck Supermoon is expected to light up the night skies.
The full moon in July is also known as the Buck Moon because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year. It’s the first full Moon of astronomical summer and the second supermoon of the year.
A supermoon is the result of a full moon occurring when it is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit. This can happen because the moon orbits the Earth on an elliptical path, rather than a circular one.
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But when is the supermoon and how can you see it? We answer these questions and more below.
When can I see the Buck Moon 2022?
The Buck Moon will be visible tonight, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in the UK and around the world. It will also appear brightly in the night sky tomorrow, on Thursday, July 14.
Anna Ross, a planetarium astronomer at Royal Museums Greenwich, said: “The best time to view this supermoon will be any time during the night of the 13th July, when the moon will rise in the east just after sunset, and set in the west a little before sunrise."
Where is the best place to see the Buck Moon from?
The supermoon can be seen from anywhere in the UK, but the less polluted your area is the better. Anna said: “There is no particular location you need to be to observe this event as this is a bright full moon. As long as the night is clear of clouds it will be easy to spot whether you are in a light-polluted city or a dark area of countryside.”
What is the best time to see the Buck Moon?
The Buck Moon this year will reach peak illumination at 6.38pm, in the early evening of Wednesday June 13. As this is still during daylight hours, and before the Moon has risen from our point of view in the UK, the best time to see the Buck Moon will be in the evening of June 13. just after moonrise at 9.47pm, while the Moon is still low on the horizon.
What is the Moon illusion?
The Moon illusion is when the Moon appears bigger during moonrise and moonset, when it’s still low on the horizon. Unfortunately, it’s only our human eyes playing tricks, but it’s great if you want to catch a few snaps of the Moon. Scientists are still unsure as to why this occurs, but it’s possible that our brain compares the Moon with distant objects on the horizon (such as buildings or wind turbines), which fools us into thinking it’s much larger.
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