Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Did you see the first Full Moon of Summer 2022? Rising in the east on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, the full ‘Buck Moon’, ‘Thunder Moon’ or ‘Raspberry Moon’ was captured by photographers as it appeared on the horizon. The super moon rises in Idlib, Syria as children sit on scrap metal in a junkyard on July 13,… [+] 2022. (Photo by Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The full moon always rises in the east at dusk (opposite or near sunset) and sets in the west the next morning (opposite sunrise). Only on the night of the full moon is it possible to see the Moon appear on the horizon at dusk. The waxing moon rises over the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Khufu) at the Pyramids of Giza… [+] necropolis in the southwestern suburbs of the Egyptian capital on July 12, 2022, a day before July’s “buck supermoon.” (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The “Buck Moon” looked orange as seen in the east. That’s because when we see it so low in the sky, we’re looking through the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere. A view of the Super Moon also called the Buck Moon, seen from the Gateway of India on July 13, 2022 in New … [+] Delhi, India. (Photo by Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Hindustan Times via Getty Images The physics at play here is Rayleigh scattering. Earth’s atmosphere contains oxygen and nitrogen molecules that absorb certain wavelengths of light more effectively than others. So why does orange dominate the light that hits your eyes when you watch a moonrise? A super moon known as the “Buck Moon” rises over the Oresund Strait in the village of Taarbaek, about 15 … [+] km north of Copenhagen on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Colors in sunlight with short wavelengths, such as blue, hit more particles and are therefore absorbed more often. They disperse more easily, which is why the sky is blue during the day. Colors with longer wavelengths, such as orange, pass more easily through the atmosphere unimpeded. A supermoon, the ‘Buck Moon’, rises over the Graves Lighthouse in the Boston Harbor Islands, as seen… [+] from Revere Beach in Revere, Massachusetts on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The “Buck Moon” was also the second largest “supermoon” of the year after last year’s “Strawberry Moon.” The Moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical, so there’s always a point each month — called perigee — when it’s closest to us. At that point it looks about 6% larger than average. The full ‘Buck’ moon rises over the landmark Beirut Martyrs statue in the center of … [+] Lebanon’s capital, on July 13, 2022. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images “Buck Moon” was in perigee the same day it was filled. While the full moon appeared at 6:38 p.m. UTC, the Moon reached perigee at 9:06 AM. UTC when it was 221,993 miles/357,264 kilometers from Earth. The Super Moon called the ‘Buck Moon’ rises in the sky of Rieti. In Rieti, Italy, July 13, 2022. … [+] (Photo by Riccardo Fabi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Although a supermoon is technically slightly larger in the sky, it is extremely difficult for the casual observer to detect any change. However, a full moon when viewed on the horizon appears large. The full “Buck Supermoon” over Rome, Italy as captured by Gianluca Masi in … [+] www.virtualtelescope.eu Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project (used with permission) This is due to the “moon illusion”, which is when the human brain sees the disk of the moon on the horizon at dusk and compares its size to other things it can see, such as trees and buildings. The full Buck Supermoon or Thunder Moon rises over lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in … [+] New York on July 13, 2022, as seen from Verona, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) Corbis via Getty Images After all, the apparent diameter of the Moon is only 0.5º and this does not change much during a “supermoon”. The celestial sphere around our planet is 360º and from any point on Earth you can see 180º. At 0.5º the full moon fills only one 72,000th of what you can see. The full moon rises over the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey on July 14, … [+] 2022. (Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The next full moon is the ‘Sturgeon Moon’ – also called the ‘Fruit Moon’ and the ‘Barley Moon’ – which will rise on Thursday/Friday, 11/12 August 2022. I wish you clear skies and open eyes.
