Sky-watchers, rejoice!
The biggest and brightest full moon of the year takes place in mid-July in Vancouver.
Considered a "supermoon," the celestial body will appear a whopping 15 per cent brighter and seven per cent bigger than a regular full moon due to its proximity to earth.
EarthSky notes that astronomers usually refer to supermoons as perigean full moons — a term that simply refers to the moon being "near earth."
The July supermoon is one of only two massive moons this year; the first, the full Strawberry moon, illuminated local skies on June 14.
Full moon July 2022: Buck moon in Vancouver
If you missed the Strawberry supermoon, ensure you mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 13.
Unfortunately, the lunar behemoth will appear its biggest and brightest in the city at 11:35 a.m., according to timeanddate.com. That said, it will appear nearly full the night before and in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Why is the July moon called the full "Buck" moon?
Named after the time of year when young bucks begin to grow new antlers from their foreheads, the July full moon "marks a time of renewal," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. But it has also been known by several other names, including the "Thunder Moon," due to the abundant thunderstorms during this month.
The Almanac notes that Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons. Some of the names, translated directly into English, mean the "Ripe Corn Moon” by the Cherokee, "Middle of Summer Moon" by the Ponca, and “Moon When Limbs of Trees Are Broken by Fruit” by the Zuni.
