July’s full moon will once again be a supermoon, reaching its perigee, or closest point to our planet, on July 13.
The moon will be relatively close to Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit, making it slightly larger and brighter than usual. The “Buck Moon,” or “Thunder Moon,” will officially peak on July 13, at 2:37 p.m. EDT (opens in new tab) (1837 GMT), according to timeanddate.com. Although definitions of a “supermoon” vary, NASA eclipse observer Fred Espenak believes July’s full moon is the third of four supermoons in a row.
Observers in New York will see the nearly full moon set around 4:55 a.m. local time on July 13, according to timeanddate.com; the slightly waning moon will rise again at 21:00
Related: Supermoon Secrets: 7 Surprising Facts About the Big Moon
Since the full moon really dominates the night sky and washes out fainter objects, this is a great time to focus your skywatching efforts on using your eyes, binoculars, or telescope to study lunar features. With the naked eye, you can see mountains and lowlands that can take on certain shapes with cultural significance.
Binoculars or a telescope show details in craters, mountains, ridges and other huge features. Fortunately, the moon is a great target to practice spotting because it’s easy to find in the sky, it’s a large object to track, and it reflects a lot of light for beginning photographers.
If you’re hoping to photograph the moon, check out our best astrophotography cameras and best astrophotography lenses. Also read our guide on how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips to help you plan your moon photo session.
Editor’s note: If you take an amazing moon photo and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook.
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