CNN: July’s Supermoon to Shine Brighter Than Any Full Moon This Year
CNN reports that July will bring the first of four supermoons to rise in 2023. This lunar display in July will be the brightest full moon event of the year. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon will rise on Monday, July 3, and reach peak illumination below the horizon at 7:39 a.m. ET. To witness this celestial event, viewers can look to the southeast after sunset, weather conditions permitting.
Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, explains that a supermoon occurs when the moon appears slightly larger in the sky. As the moon orbits the Earth, its path is not a perfect circle, so there are points where it is closer or farther from the Earth. When the moon reaches its full phase at a point closer to Earth, it appears larger, resulting in a supermoon.
Although the size difference between a supermoon and a typical full moon may not be immediately noticeable to the naked eye, The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the first full moon of summer will be more luminous and will be 224,895.4 miles away from Earth.
In addition to being a supermoon, July’s full moon is also known as the buck moon. The almanac explains that this name comes from the fact that July is the month when male deer’s antlers grow during their annual shedding and regrowth cycle. Native American peoples have several other names for the buck moon, such as hot moon, raspberry moon, and ripe corn moon, each signifying different aspects of the summer season and the best times for harvesting fruit and crops.
CNN also provides a list of the remaining full moons in 2023, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. These include the Sturgeon moon on August 1, the Blue moon on August 30, the Harvest moon on September 29, the Hunter’s moon on October 28, the Beaver moon on November 27, and the Cold moon on December 26.
In addition to supermoons, CNN highlights the upcoming lunar and solar eclipses in 2023. People in North, Central, and South America will have the opportunity to observe an annular solar eclipse on October 14. This eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth at or near its farthest point from Earth, resulting in the moon appearing smaller than the sun and encircled by a glowing halo. Viewers are advised to wear eclipse glasses to protect their eyes during the event.
Furthermore, a partial lunar eclipse is scheduled for October 28. In this celestial event, only a portion of the moon will pass into shadow as the sun, Earth, and moon do not align completely. The partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Asia, Australia, parts of North America, and much of South Africa.
Lastly, CNN provides a list of the remaining meteor showers expected to peak in 2023. These include the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids on July 30-31, the Perseids on August 12-13, the Orionids on October 20-21, the Southern Taurids on November 4-5, the Northern Taurids on November 11-12, the Leonids on November 17-18, the Geminids on December 13-14, and the Ursids on December 21-22.
Overall, 2023 promises to be an exciting year for stargazers, with multiple supermoons, eclipses, and meteor showers to captivate celestial enthusiasts.