July's Supermoon Will Be Brightest Of The Year

The brightest supermoon of 2022 is set to occur in July and you'll be able to see it with the naked eye. 

Last month, stargazers were able to catch the alignment of five planets for the first time in around two decades, but excitement doesn't stop there.

Skywatchers are now set to be able to catch a view of July's full moon – nicknamed the Buck Moon – very soon.

It will be the brightest supermoon of the year.

Supermoons have occurred for the last three months, with the Flower Moon having took place in May, alongside a total lunar eclipse.

Meanwhile, a full moon nicknamed the Strawberry Moon was visible in the sky in June.

The final supermoon of the year is set to take place in August. It's become known as the Sturgeon moon as per Farmer's Almanac.

The Buck Moon is set to be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year because it will orbit closer to Earth than any other full moon.

The orbit of June's supermoon was 200km further away from Earth than the upcoming Buck Moon's which is set to reach 222,089.3 miles (357,418km) from our planet.

July's moon is '12.5 percent to 14.1 percent bigger than a Micro Full Moon, and 5.9 percent to 6.9 percent bigger than an average Full Moon (in years 1550-2650),' according to Timeanddate.com.

Despite this difference, it may not appear that different to other moons you've spotted as you've gazed up at the night sky. However, scientifically, it is definitely the biggest and brightest of the year.

While the enlarged size of the Buck Moon may not appear quite so obvious to the naked eye, the location of the supermoon enhances its brightness and could aid stargazers' ability to differentiate it.

Compared to other full moons, the Buck Moon is set to be lower in the sky and nearer the horizon - much further south than others.

This will make it appear larger and brighter to those on Earth.

July's supermoon was named the Buck Moon because most male deer shed their antlers between January and April.

By July, the bucks are in their peak regrowth period in developing stronger and larger antlers.

The supermoon is set to rise on Wednesday, 13 July, shortly after sunset and will be at its brightest at 6:38pm GMT.

However, if you have plans that day, fear not, because you can still catch a glimpse of the Buck Moon on Tuesday, 12 July and Thursday, 14 July too.

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Topics: Science, Space

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.