A Buck Moon is coming – what it means and how you can see the first supermoon of the year
There’s going to be some lunar-cy this weekend as sky-gazers, space lovers and astronomy lovers will experience the first full supermoon of the year.
July’s Buck Moon will rise this weekend and the special sight will mean the moon is closer to Earth than usual, and for some observers, the moon will also remain lower in the sky than at any other time this year.
But why is it called the Buck Moon and where can you see it?
What is a Buck Moon?
The most popular name for July’s full moon is the Buck Moon and this name dates back to the Native Americans.
The Almanac explains that the name relates to the antlers of male deer – or bucks – which are growing at this time.
However, other names for the July full moon include the Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, Salmon Moon and Raspberry Moon.
This year, the Buck Moon gets a ‘Super’ in front of it because it coincides with a supermoon, when the moon is closer to Earth than average, so it will appear slightly bigger and brighter.
So, technically, this year it’s a Super Buck Moon – a catchy title for a new Marvel character.
When is the Super Buck Moon?
The July supermoon will start to be visible after sunset on Sunday, July 2, with peak visibility expected between July 3 and 4.
When is the best time to see the supermoon in the UK?
The best time to catch the moon in the UK starts at sunset on Sunday.
According to the website, Date and Time, sunset will be at 9:21pm on Sunday night.
If you miss it on Sunday, the supermoon is expected to be visible the next evening, when sunset takes place from 10:14pm.
When is the next supermoon?
The next full moon after July’s Buck Moon will be the Sturgeon Moon.
This will take place on August 1.
At 222,159 miles from Earth, the Sturgeon Moon – named because the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were commonly caught during late summer – will be the second-largest supermoon of the year.
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