A buck supermoon rose on Wednesday. Here’s what it looked like around the world
By Wynne Davis/NPR
The third supermoon of 2022 rose on Wednesday.
It’s also known as a buck moon because it falls in July. The name doesn’t come from its appearance — you won’t see the shape of a buck on the moon’s surface or anything. Instead, it refers to something that’s happening in nature.
A supermoon is pictured near the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, July 13, 2022. (Photo by Zhou Guoqiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
COPANHAGEN, DENMARK – JULY 14: A full super moon known as the “Buck Moon” is seen as a deer grazes outside the village of Taarbaek, some 15 km north of Copenhagen, on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The full moon rises over the Mediterranean sea as people on a boat enjoy, in southern coastal city of Larnaca, in the southeast island of Cyprus, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. The Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon and also a Supermoon. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
“The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time,” as The Old Farmer’s Almanac says. “Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by.”
dpatop – 14 July 2022, Lower Saxony, Syke: Onlookers watch the moon rise from the observation tower on the Hohe Berg. The so-called supermoon is a celestial event that occurred for the second time within a few weeks. The earth’s satellite then appears somewhat larger than usual. The moon looks particularly impressive directly after rising and shortly before setting. Photo: Thomas Lindemann/dpa (Photo by Thomas Lindemann/picture alliance via Getty Images)
What is a supermoon?
What makes this particular buck moon a supermoon is something else. Supermoons by definition happen “when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee,” according to NASA.
“During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth.”
A supermoon is seen at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, July 13, 2022. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua via Getty Images)
The full moon rises over Baghdad, Iraq, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. The Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon and also a Supermoon. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
The full moon rises over a private house in the village of Putilovo, 70 kilometeres (43 miles) east of St. Petersburg, Russia, late Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Supermoons happen when a full moon comes within at least 90% of the perigee. That happened Wednesday afternoon at 2:38 p.m. ET.
But the moon will appear full for about three days, through early Friday morning, so there are still viewing opportunities.
And this isn’t the last supermoon of the year either. The sturgeon moon on the night of Aug. 11 will be the final supermoon in this year’s set of four.
ISTANBUL , TURKIYE – JULY 14: Full moon rises over the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkiye on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
What to look for
Supermoons in general appear 17% bigger and 30% brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point away from Earth, according to NASA. Supermoons are slightly bigger and brighter than most full moons, too. Just because it’s bigger and brighter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see it unaided, so binoculars may give you a better view.
And if you’re looking for some photography tips to capture this event, NASA has you covered with these handy tips.
The best times to view the buck moon will be at moonrise and moonset. You can find your local times for those here.
The full moon rises over the Sforzesco Castle, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon and also a Supermoon. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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