Warm summer nights are always a great time to relax outside and let the worries of the day slip away. A Lot of times gazing at what unbelievable things are in the sky if you pay close attention. Shooting stars, planets visible at certain times, occasionally even can see the space station. And then there are the times of the month when there really is no need for close inspection or even a telescope, and that is during the full Moon.
The differences in the distance of the Moon’s orbit in proximity to Earth offers varied views, clarity and brightness and this is the time of year when it becomes amazing.
On the evening of July 13th, we were graced with a fairly clear start of the night after a hot hot day to go out and lay your eyes on the biggest supermoon of the year. Now for you celestial gazers out there, the fullest of the full…or peak illumination (according to the almanac) will be 2:38pm. Yes, “pm” what a rip off. The fullest of the biggest supermoon and it was still on the other side of the planet….but not to worry, as the sunsets and you see over the horizon the full force of July’s full Buck Supermoon. Named because (again, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac) the antlers of male deer, bucks, are in full growth mode at this time of year. (which is why they are probably eating everything in my garden). Anyway, the experience is well worth putting a little effort into. It’s something that is really amazing, but can go so unnoticed in today’s world.
Why the “super” part, well apparently the July Moon’s orbit is closer to Earth than any other full Moon this year, thus making it appear as the biggest and brightest.
So, grab the family, your partner or your pet and venture outside for a bit. The Moon is best seen when you are in a dark spot, so turn the floodlights off for a bit or take a walk to the beach, or find a nice spot by an open space outside of town lights and noise. It truly is an amazing sight. Something that is worth gathering up the kids, putting the phones down for a few minutes and sitting quietly, just take it all in.
Who knows, you may get a new outlook and appreciation for “Bella Luna”…. Beautiful Moon
Contributed by:
DonAngelo
