The supermoon full moon of July, sometimes referred to as the Buck Moon, rises on July 3rd.
The lunar disc appears larger and brighter during supermoons, an exciting event for skywatchers, but the Buck Moon of 2023 will be even more amazing as it begins a season of four supermoons in a row. Supermoons can cause the moon to become 30% brighter and the lunar disc to grow by 14% as seen from Earth, although these changes are typically not visible to the human eye unless someone pays close attention to the moon each night.
The proximity of the moon to Earth during a full moon causes supermoons. The moon will be closer to Earth during the July Buck Moon than it is on normal, at just 224,895 miles (361,934 km), according to eclipse expert and retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espanak.
The July Full Buck Moon will rise around 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT) on Monday, July 3, and will set at 4:33 a.m. EDT (0833 GMT) on Tuesday, July 4. The Full Sturgeon Moon, the following supermoon after July, will rise on August 1st. The Full Corn Moon will also be the last supermoon of 2023, with the following supermoon expected to occur on September 18, 2024. There will only be two supermoons in the next year. The one after September will take place on October 18, 2024.
