If you’ve seen the night sky, you know the moon is now waxing toward full. First quarter moon will come on the night of July 15 according to clocks in North America. The next full moon will fall on Monday, July 22, 2013 at 18:16 UTC. This month’s full moon will fall one day after July’s lunar perigee, which is the moon’s closest point to Earth for this monthly orbit. Astronomers will call this upcoming full moon a perigee full moon, but everyone else will call it a supermoon, according to a definition coined in recent decades by an astrologer.
This upcoming July 2013 supermoon won’t be as “super” as the supermoon in June. On the night of June 22-23, the moon reached the crest of its full phase within an hour of the time of perigee, or the moon’s closest point. The July supermoon is actually the third full supermoon to happen in 2013. The first one was in May. Why so many supermoons? The reason is that the definition, as coined by astrologer Richard Nolle has defined a supermoon as:
As the July 2013 full moon ascends in the east at nightfall, the planet Venus and star Regulus sink downward in the west. They set about 1.5 hours after
a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. That’s a pretty generous definition and allows for many supermoons. By this definition, according to Nolle: There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average. Tired of supermoons yet? Most people aren’t. Like many of the special full moons – such as Blue Moons – supermoons seem to have an unending allure. As always, this July, although the full moon comes at the same instant for everyone worldwide, the clock reads differently according to time zone. In the United States, the July full moon will occur on July 22 at 2:16 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 1:16 p.m. Central Daylight Time, 12:16 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time and 11:16 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. For us across the United States, the moon turns astronomically full – or stands most directly opposite the sun – during the daylight hours on July 22. But for general reference, we can say the July 22 moon is full all night for us and the rest of the world. This July 2013 full moon presents the second full moon after the June solstice. Normally, there are only three full moons in one season – the period of time between a solstice and an equinox, or vice versa. However, in 2013, four full moons take place in between the June solstice and the September equinox. The third of four full moons to fall in one season will occur in August 2013, and some people will call this particular full moon a Blue Moon. In North America, we often call the July full moon the Buck Moon, Thunder Moon or Hay Moon. At this time of year, buck deer grow velvety antlers, thunderstorms rage and farmers struggle to put hay into their barns. Watch the full-looking moon as it beams over the east-southeast horizon at evening dusk on July 22. Like any full moon, the moon will look large and spectacular as it fully reflects the light of the sun. But the moon’s path across the sky tonight will vary, depending on where you live worldwide. The full moon’s trajectory across the sky will resemble that of the sun some six months from now, or in January. For the Northern Hemisphere, the moon will follow the low arc of the winter sun, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere, it’ll mimic the high-flying summer sun. Bottom line: The next supermoon will happen on July 22. A supermoon is a new or full moon that occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. That’s a generous definition, which is why there are so many supermoons! The July 2013 full supermoon is the third one this year.
source and credit a earthsky
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