Grab those binoculars because July’s full supermoon, also known as the “Buck Moon”, will grace the skies above Miami tonight! Set to appear bigger and brighter than usual, it will rise after sunset on July 3rd and reach its closest point to the Earth for the year.
A supermoon is a celestial event that describes the moon at its nearest distance to Earth on its orbit (the closest point is called a “perigee”). This specific supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of the year because it will be the nearest to the Earth out of any other full moons this year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, while it is technically bigger and brighter than a regular full Moon, it only appears about 7% larger, which might not make a noticeable difference to the human eye.
It gets its “Buck Moon” name from the antlers that begin to grow from the foreheads of male deer (bucks) around this time of year before being shed. However, it goes by many names depending on where you are in the world. For instance, it is called the Hay Moon in the Anglo-Saxon calendar.
The moon reached peak illumination at 7:39 a.m. Eastern Time this morning, but due to the light, your best bet is to gaze up at sunset or even a full day or two prior to and after July 3rd for good measure. Considering tomorrow is the Fourth of July, it should make for the perfect backdrop alongside dazzling firework displays!
Tonight is the night to look up at the sky and bask in the beauty of the moon. You can track moonrise and moonset in Miami on Time and Date.
This supermoon kicks off three more set to take place later this year. The next supermoons will occur on August 1, August 31, and September 29.