July’s full Buck Moon supermoon will rise after sunset on Monday, July 3 kicking off one of four supermoons this year. Said to be the brightest supermoon of the year, the moon will reach peak illumination at 6:39 am CDT, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
#FullBuckMoon in the sky! The #FullMoon on July 3 at 11:38 UTC is the #BuckMoon. It is named after the new antlers that emerge from a buck’s forehead around this time of the year.
Find out what else it is known as: https://t.co/CV3SoVf9Ii
📷: ©https://t.co/8QPQs9KgzV pic.twitter.com/w8NuUeyeOB
— timeanddate.com (@timeanddate) July 2, 2023
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon is a celestial event that describes the moon at its closest proximity to the Earth on its orbit (or reaches “perigee”). This occurrence is more popular during full moons, as these are the ones we can see and cause the moon to appear bigger and brighter than usual.
This specific supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of the year because it will be the nearest moon to the Earth out of any occurring moons this year.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac at its closest point, the Full Buck Supermoon will only be only 224,895.4 miles from Earth–that’s 14,000 miles closer than a typical full moon event.
When and where is best to see the supermoon?
As the moon will be below the horizon when it reaches peak illumination, your best bet at catching it is to look towards the southeast after sunset as it rises into the sky.
According to Time and Date, the moon will rise at 21:23 on Monday evening and set at 06:13 on Tuesday morning. The sun meanwhile will set at 20:29 on Monday night and rise on Tuesday morning at 5.20. That gives a window between 21:23 and 5:20 with which to best view the supermoon.
For the best views, it’s always recommended to head to places with as little light pollution as possible. If you’re living in the city, finding dark skies can be a little difficult. But to help you on your mission, use this light pollution map to guide your way.
With this celestial event taking place the day before the Fourth of July, paired with fireworks we can only imagine how dazzling the sky will look.
[Featured image from Shutterstock]