Earth’s Skies to Host the “Deer Moon”

Earth’s skies are gearing up to host the “Deer Moon,” which is the first giant full moon of 2023 and can be seen early next week.

The Deer Moon and its Significance

The full moon in July is called the Deer Moon because the full moon occurs when the male deer, known as deer, grow antlers.

Another popular name for the July full moon is the “Thunder Moon” because of the frequent thunderstorms in early summer. In Europe, the full moon is called the Hay Moon because it coincides with the hay season.

The “Giant Deer Moon” will appear full and brighter than a normal full moon, as it will be 16% brighter than a normal full moon.

The Giant Moon Phenomenon

The giant moon phenomenon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth because its orbit is elliptical. The Moon is closer to Earth at perigee and farther away at aphelion.

When a full moon coincides with perihelion, it is called a supermoon. At this time, the full moon is 14% larger and 30% brighter than at its zenith.

Thus, the giant full moon appears to the viewer to be much larger and brighter than usual.

The closest point of the Moon to Earth is called perihelion. The average distance between the full Moon and Earth is about 238,900 miles. But the giant satellites are a little closer, and the “deer moon” will be 361,934 km away from us.

The First of Many Giant Moons

Although Deer Moon is the first giant moon of the year, along with three other giant moons that will appear on August 1, August 31, and September 29, it will be the smallest among them.

Observing the Deer Moon

To get the best idea of this astronomical event, you can watch it rise shortly after sunset, at dusk.

The moon will reach its maximum brightness on Monday, July 3rd, but to the naked eye, it will appear full for 3 days from the evening of Sunday, July 2nd until Tuesday, July 4th.

Source: Forbes