A “buck moon” this coming Thursday night will be bright enough to outshine two meteor showers, making an exciting night of stargazing for Australians.
This July’s full moon involves a particularly unique phenomenon where the moon is situated further from earth than usual and will reach the second highest in the sky of any full moon this year.
In Tasmania, ACT, Victoria and NSW, this “micro moon” will become apparent about 4:45pm on Thursday.
Dr Laura Driessen, a postdoctoral researcher and science communicator at Sydney Institute for Astronomy, said the best times to view the phenomenon is sunset, sunrise or just after midnight when the moon peaks in the sky.
“The main one that people are talking about is because it’s going to be happening close to what we call apogee,” she said.
“So the moon’s orbit around the earth isn’t exactly a circle. It’s more like a little bit of an oval (and) when it’s furthest from earth that’s called the apogee.”
“So it’s a full moon where (it is) pretty far away from earth”.
Dr Driessen suggested getting away from bright city lights to achieve the best viewing experience.
“Hopefully you’re somewhere with a nice clear night sky. That’s the best,” she said.
“In winter, it’s actually pretty good because often the air is a bit drier in winter, which means the sky is nice and clear.”
The title of “buck moon” was penned in America, where it appears at the time of year when young male deer begin growing their antlers.
Despite originating from the other side of the world, the name has made its way to Australia.
The next full moon will peak in late August and is called the Sturgeon Moon.
Amy JacksonCadet Journalist