Bright ‘Buck Supermoon’ to light up July sky. Here’s when to look for it in WA
The July 13 supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of 2022’s moon phases, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. At its nearest, the moon will be 222,089.3 miles away from Earth, so it will appear about 7% larger than most full moons.
Astronomers dispute the definition of a supermoon, but it’s when the moon is within 90% perigee of the earth, or as close as it gets to home terrain, NASA says. Some scientists disagree about the definition of perigee, since it varies depending on the orbit.
While some of this year’s earlier celestial events have required late nights and early mornings to catch the best views, this supermoon will appear brightest around 2:38 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday.
In Western Washington, you can find your local moonrise time here.
WHY IS IT CALLED THE BUCK MOON?
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Indigenous Algonquin peoples called this supermoon the “Buck Moon” because male deers’ antlers reach peak growth in early summer. People of various cultures have historically celebrated this supermoon.
According to NASA, Hindus, Buddhists and Jains mark this event as the Guru Full Moon. This is a time for “clearing the mind and honoring the guru or spiritual master.” Theravada Buddhists designate this full moon as “Asalha Puja,” or Dharma Day, or Esala Poya. This festival honors the Buddah’s first sermon, NASA says. This moon is also known as the thunder moon due to early summer’s frequent thunderstorms. Europeans referred to the supermoon as the hay moon or mead moon.
NASA offered the following advice for the Buck Supermoon: “As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full moon. Be safe (especially during thunderstorms), avoid starting wars, and take a moment to clear your mind.”
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SEE IN THE SKY THIS JULY?
Wednesday morning, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus will appear to align. The event won’t be as rare as June’s lineup was as the planets are scattering, but you can look up around 4:43 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to see this apparent lineup. The new moon will occur July 28 around 1:55 p.m. The next day, you might get lucky enough to get a glimpse of Mercury below the waxing crescent moon, NASA says. You may need binoculars or a telescope, though.
July 20 is designated as International Moon Day, celebrating humans’ first moon landing in 1969. The moon will appear half-full around 10:19 a.m. that day. You can check out the Night Sky Network for astronomy-related events near you.
OTHER WA NIGHT SKY EVENTS
If you miss the Buck Moon but would like to get out under the stars before summer is over, the National Park Service has a stargazing guide by park and state, including Olympic National Park in Washington state.
It’s part of the NPS Night Sky Events, with a searchable database by state of astronomical gatherings.
Recurring events in July and August in Washington state include the Paradise Night Sky Program at Mount Rainier National Park and the Hurricane Ridge Night Telescope Program at Olympic National Park.
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Bright ‘Buck Supermoon’ to light up July sky. Here’s when to look for it in WA."