Stargazers are in for a treat tonight with a supermoon predicted - assuming there aren’t too many clouds. July 3 is set to be the date when the lunar surface will be the biggest yet this year from the earth.
Tonight’s full Buck supermoon will be visible Monday, 3 July 2023 in the UK and around the world. The Moon will appear full for several nights after this date. On 3 July, the Moon will rise late, at 10:14pm (UK time). The Buck supermoon will appear in the constellation of Sagittarius (southeast).
The moon orbits the earth on an elliptical shape meaning that it is closer at some times than others - and today it is closer than normal. A supermoon is when a full Moon takes place at the same time as the perigee which is when the moon is closest to the earth.
A full Moon during perigee will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than a full Moon when it is at its furthest away.
The lunar cycle continues and we’re here to let you in on its juicy details. Here’s when you can see the Buck supermoon and everything you need to know about this celestial spectacle. A supermoon is also around 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter than the average full Moon.
July’s full moon is known as the Buck Moon because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year.
Anna Ross, a planetarium astronomer at Royal Museums Greenwich has previously said about the Buck moon: “As a supermoon means that the moon is a little closer to us, it will appear slightly bigger in the sky.
“The apparent difference between the size of the full moon at its closest and farthest points is only around 14% and, although if you were on the moon its brightness wouldn’t change, being that bit closer, it also overall appears to be around 30% brighter to us here on Earth.”
