July Supermoon 2023: Dazzling ‘Buck moon’ bigger and brighter than usual lights up the night sky across the world
THE dazzling July Supermoon lit up skies across the world in a breathtaking display tonight.
Also known as the “Buck Moon”, the impressive lunar event was bigger and brighter than any other full moon this year.
A supermoon is given its name as it looks larger than a normal Moon and marks the point in its orbit where it’s the closest to Earth.
And people waiting to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle were not left disappointed.
Stargazers were left basking in its beauty as it rose with an otherwordly glow past The Shard and St Paul’s Cathedral in central London.
For many keen Moon watchers, it even appeared to hang lower in the sky than usual, too.
And it was the same across the world with the breathtaking supermoon visible near the Harz mountains in Germany.
The rare moon was also spotted by stargazers in Greece, Iraq and Egypt tonight.
A supermoon is a combination of two different astronomical effects.
It’s when a new or full Moon coincides with a perigee – the Moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
A Moon has to come within 90% of its closest approach to Earth to be formally defined as a supermoon.
According to Science Focus, a supermoon is also around 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter than the average full Moon.
Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University told CNN: “A supermoon is when the moon appears a little bit bigger in our sky.
“As the moon goes around the Earth, it’s not a perfect circle.
“So, there are points in its orbit where it’s a little bit closer or a little bit farther from the Earth.”
The name “Buck Moon” dates back to Native American peoples and references the time of year in which male deer antlers begin to grow back, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
On the whole, supermoons are relatively rare, occurring just three or four times in a single year.
The Buck Moon is the first of four supermoons to hit the skies this year.
If you missed it, don’t worry as it’s peak visibility expected between July 3 and 4 as it reaches its full phase.
The Buck supermoon will reach peak illumination in the UK on the morning of 3 July, at 7:38am.
And you can also catch it later from around 10.14pm onwards tomorrow evening.