Supermoon 2022: What you need to know about the biggest ‘buck’ moon of the year

In a treat for avid sky-watchers in India, the biggest supermoon of the year is set to appear at midnight on Thursday.

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the buck moon will be closest to the Earth in its orbit. This phenomenon is called supermoon as the moon appears slightly bigger and brighter than usual.

The super buck moon will appear fully from early Tuesday morning through early Friday morning. Night skies across the earth will be illuminated by the supermoon on Wednesday at 2:38 pm (EDT).

However, for the Indian subcontinent, it will be visible on Thursday at 12:08 am (IST).

According to NBC Chicago, astronomers believe that the moon will be approximately 222,000 miles away from Earth, the closest it will be to the planet this year.

Let’s take a closer look at the details of this phenomenon:

What is a supermoon?

A supermoon appears when the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth. The reduced proximity between the two celestial bodies makes the moon appear larger and brighter.

The term supermoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 and refers to either a new moon or full moon. A supermoon occurs only when the moon is within 90 per cent of the perigee, that is, the point in moon’s orbit that is nearest to the Earth, according to NASA.

Supermoons normally appear about seven per cent bigger and 15 per cent brighter than a typical moon, according to a report on USA Today.

Supermoons happen only three to four times a year and mostly appears consecutively, as per NASA.

Why is July’s supermoon called the buck moon?

According to NASA, the legend of naming supermoons goes back to 1930s when the Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons. Going by this logic, early summer is usually when a buck deer fully develops its antlers. Male deer or bucks shed their antlers once a year and grow them back around this time of the year.

However, different regions of the world have devised their own names for this phenomenon. In Europe it is called the Hay moon for the haymaking during the month of June and July.

In India, July’s supermoon is called Guru full moon (Guru Purnima) which is celebrated as a time when Hindus, Buddhists and Jains honour their gurus or spiritual masters.

July’s supermoon is considered to be special as the buck moon will be 357,418 kilometres from the Earth, a little closer than June’s strawberry moon, as per the Almanac.

With inputs from agencies

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