Here’s when to look to the sky for July’s ‘Buck Supermoon’ in central Pennsylvania
Central Pennsylvania viewers will get the chance to see the Buck Supermoon Wednesday afternoon, when the moon will be in its biggest and brightest phase of 2022, according to the 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. The next nearest supermoon of the year was the Strawberry Moon in June.
The definition of a supermoon varies according to some astronomers, but NASA defines it as when the moon is within 90% perigee of the earth, or as close as it gets to home terrain. 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 Wednesday.
Here’s what to know about the Buck Supermoon, plus where State College area astronomy fans can gather to stargaze throughout the year.
Why is it called the Buck Moon?
According to the Maine 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. 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 in your area. The Central Pennsylvania Observers hosts “Skywatches” typically once per month.
This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 3:08 PM.
