If you love celestial events, there will be a supermoon that will be glowing and illuminate Irish skies this week.
The recent Strawberry Moon took place in June 2022 and remained clear to see for a few nights afterwards.
Here are a few things to know about the July full moon, when to see it and why it’s so unique among this year’s moons.
READ MORE: Tributes paid to bonfire builder killed in fall in Northern Ireland
Not only will the moon have spectacular orange hues, as every rising Moon is when seen on the horizon, but the full “Buck Moon” also happens to be a “supermoon.”
What is a 'supermoon'?
According to NASA, a supermoon is when a full moon is within 90 percent of perigee (a moon’s closest proximity to Earth within a month), as per NASA.
The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 and is often used by astronomers to describe a perigean, full moon: a full moon occurring near or at the time when the Moon is at the closest point in its orbit around Earth.
Because the Moon is in its closest approach to Earth, it can cause higher tides than usual.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanack and NASA, it was named this by the native American people in honour of male deer -bucks, aka bucks.
It’s because this time of year is when their antlers emerge from their foreheads with a fur coating, and continue to grow rapidly throughout the month.
When is the supermoon?
On Wednesday (July 13) the “Buck moon” will arrive at its closest point to the Earth for 2022.
Sunset on Wednesday will be at 21:47, with the moon peaking roughly 30 minutes after at 22.25pm, with the illumination at 98.9%.
Not only will July’s supermoon be at its biggest and brightest at any time in the month, but it will also be the biggest supermoon of the year.
How often does the supermoon happen?
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days and happens when the Moon is completely illuminated by the Sun's rays.
It occurs when the Earth is directly aligned between the Sun and the Moon.
At its nearest point, the Buck Moon will be 222,089.3 miles (357,418 km) from Earth.
NASA notes that the Buck moon will actually look full for about three days, from the morning of Tuesday, July 12 up until the morning of Friday, July 15.
Best way to see it
The Old Almanack says "plan to look toward the southeast after sunset to watch it rise into the sky because it will be below the horizon at that time".
The Moon continues to be a captivating subject for photographers around the globe, especially at those rare times when it appears as a supermoon.
Canon says to "plan ahead", and that the supermoon is "most impressive when it first appears on the horizon."
Canon states there several useful phone apps that can help you plan your angles with precision, and you can track the phases of the moon online.
You can check the exact times of moonrise and moonset for your location here.
READ NEXT:
- Thousands gather for 'D-Day' demo over plans to shut down hospital's A&E
- Elderly man left on A&E trolley at University Hospital Galway for seven days
- Man jailed for child pornography after being spotted acting 'suspiciously' on Luas by off-duty garda
- Cousin of victims says Mayo double murder killer should never get out of jail
- Mr Price ordered to pay €20,000 in compensation for discriminating against former worker
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
