The full moon of July will once again be a supermoon, reaching its perigee or closest point to our planet on July 13th.
The moon will be relatively close to the Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit, which will make it look a little bigger and brighter than usual. The “Buck Moon” or “Thunder Moon” will officially reach its peak on July 13, at 14:37 EDT (opens in a new tab) (1837 GMT), according to timeanddate.com. Although definitions of “supermoon” vary, NASA eclipse observer Fred Espena counts the full moon in July as the third of four supermoons in a row.
New York City observers will see the almost 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 9 p.m.
Related: Secrets of the Supermoon: 7 Amazing Facts About the Big Moon
Since full moons dominate the night sky and wash away the faintest objects, it’s a good time to focus your sky observation efforts on using your eyes, binoculars, or a telescope to examine lunar features. At first glance, one can see the highlands and the lowlands, which can take certain forms with cultural meanings.
Binoculars or a telescope show details in craters, mountains, ridges and other huge features. Fortunately, the moon is a great target for observation, as it is easy to find in the sky, is a large object to track, and reflects a lot of light for evolving photographers.
If you want to photograph the moon, check out our best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses. Also read our guide on how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips for planning your lunar photo shoot.
Editor’s Note: If you’re taking an amazing photo of the moon and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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