Buck Supermoon – AKA The Thunder Moon

The next full moon is called the Buck Supermoon, the Thunder Moon, and the Hay or Mead Moon.

Wednesday afternoon, July 13, 2022, will be the next full moon, appearing opposite the Sun in Earth-based longitude at 2:38 p.m. EDT (11:38 a.m. PDT). From the India Standard Time Zone eastward to the International Date Line, this will be on Thursday morning. The Moon will appear full for about three days, from early Tuesday morning through early Friday morning.

What’s in a Name

The Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s. According to this Almanac, the Algonquin tribes of what is now the northeastern United States called this the Buck Moon. Early summer is normally when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. Because of early summer’s frequent thunderstorms, they also called this the Thunder Moon.

Europeans called this the Hay Moon for the haymaking in June and July, and sometimes the Mead Moon (although this name was also used for the previous full moon). Mead is created by fermenting honey mixed with water, sometimes adding fruits, grains, spices, or hops.

For Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, this is called the Guru Full Moon (Guru Purnima), celebrated as a time for clearing the mind and honoring the guru or spiritual master.

For Theravada Buddhists, this full moon is known as Asalha Puja, also called Dharma Day or Esala Poya, an important festival celebrating the Buddha’s first sermon.

As the full moon day of Waso (the fourth month of the traditional Burmese lunisolar calendar), this is the start of the three-month annual Buddhist retreat called Vassa.

In many traditional lunisolar and lunar calendars, full moons fall on or near the middle of the lunar months. This full moon is in the middle of the sixth month of the Chinese calendar, Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar, and Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic year. Dhu al-Hijjah is the month of the Hajj and the Festival of the Sacrifice, and is one of four sacred months during which fighting is forbidden.

The Buck Supermoon

Since the peak of this full moon is less than 10 hours after the Moon was closest to the Earth in its orbit, this will be a supermoon. Coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, the term “supermoon” refers to either a new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of perigee, its closest approach to Earth.

Because we can’t see new supermoons (except when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and causes an eclipse), what has caught the public’s attention are full supermoons, since these are the biggest and brightest full moons of the year. Perigee varies with each orbit, resulting in different publications using different thresholds for deciding which full moons qualify, but all agree that this full moon is indeed a supermoon.

Since this is also called the Thunder Moon, a quick note on lightning safety. Most of the lightning that strikes the ground arcs from the negatively charged bottom of the storm to the ground underneath the storm. Much rarer is positive lightning, which arcs from the top of a thunderstorm to strike the ground up to eight miles away. Positive lightning can sometimes strike areas where the sky is clear (hence the term “bolt out of the blue”). Because it arcs across a greater distance it tends to be 5 to 10 times more powerful than regular ground strikes. Because it can strike dry areas outside of the storm, positive lightning tends to start more fires than negative lightning. Although positive lightning is rare (less than 5% of all lightning strikes), the lack of warning combined with its greater power makes it more lethal. A good rule to follow is, that if you can hear the thunder, you can be struck by lightning.

As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full moon. Be safe (especially during thunderstorms), avoid starting wars, and take a moment to clear your mind.

Here is a summary of celestial events between now and the full moon after next (with times and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.):

As summer continues the daily periods of sunlight continue to shorten. On Wednesday, July 13, 2022 (the day of the full moon), morning twilight will begin at 4:43 a.m. EDT (1:43 a.m. PDT), sunrise will be at 5:54 a.m, solar noon will be at 1:13:53 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 72.87 degrees, sunset will be at 8:34 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 9:44 p.m. By Wednesday, August 11 (the day of the full moon after next), morning twilight will begin at 5:14 a.m., sunrise will be at 6:18 a.m., solar noon will be at 1:13:20 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 66.24 degrees, sunset will be at 8:08 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 9:11 p.m.

Meteor Showers

According to the International Meteor Organization, the Southern Delta Aquariids are expected to peak early Saturday morning, July 30, 2022. The radiant for this meteor shower is in the Southern Hemisphere. Under ideal conditions – a southern location far from light pollution and other light sources with a clear view of a sky that has no clouds or haze – you might be able to see about 16 meteors per hour. From more urban and northern locations like Washington, D.C., the chance of seeing these meteors is considerably reduced. During this lunar cycle, three other meteor showers are expected to peak, each at about five meteors per hour (under ideal conditions). These too will be difficult to see from urban environments.

Evening Sky Highlights

On the evening of Wednesday, July 13, 2022 – the day of the full moon – as evening twilight ends at 9:44 p.m. EDT (6:44 p.m. PDT), the Moon will appear 5 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Two bright stars will be nearly tied for closest to overhead, with Vega 60 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon and Arcturus 59 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Vega, the 5th brightest star in our night sky, is about 25 light-years from Earth. It is about twice the mass of our Sun but shines 40 times brighter. Arcturus, the 4th brightest star in our night sky, is about 37 light-years from Earth. It is nearly the same mass as our Sun, but older. Arcturus has used up its core hydrogen and become a red giant, swelling to about 25 times its previous size and shining about 170 times brighter than the Sun. Our Sun is about halfway through this lifecycle and is expected to become a red giant in about 5 billion years.

As the lunar cycle progresses the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening as the Earth moves around the Sun. Beginning around July 23, 2022, the planet Saturn will begin appearing above the east-southeastern horizon as evening twilight ends. The waxing moon will pass near the bright stars Spica on August 3 and Antares on August 6. By the evening of Thursday, August 11 (the day of the full moon after next), as evening twilight ends at 9:11 p.m. EDT (6:11 p.m. PDT), the rising Moon will appear 7 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon with the planet Saturn 6 degrees to the upper left of the Moon. The bright star appearing closest to directly overhead will be Vega at 76 degrees above the eastern horizon.

Morning Sky Highlights

On the morning of Wednesday, July 13, 2022 – the day of the full moon – as morning twilight begins at 4:43 a.m. EDT (1:43 a.m. PDT), four of the five visible planets will appear in a line across the sky, with Saturn to the upper right at 34 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon, Jupiter at 48 degrees above the southeastern horizon, Mars at 39 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon, and Venus to the lower left at 7 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon. Mercury will no longer be visible in the glow of dawn, as it will rise less than 30 minutes before sunrise. The full moon will appear 4 degrees above the southwestern horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Deneb at 64 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. Deneb is about 20 times more massive than our Sun but has used up its hydrogen and expanded into a blue-white supergiant with a diameter about 200 times that of our Sun. If Deneb were in the same place as our Sun, it would extend to about the orbit of the Earth. Deneb is about 2,600 light-years from Earth and is the 19th brightest star in our night sky.

As the lunar cycle progresses, the background of stars along with Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars will appear to shift westward each morning, although Mars will appear to shift more slowly. Venus will appear to shift the opposite way, closer to the eastern horizon each morning. The waning moon will pass near the planets Saturn on July 16, Jupiter on July 19, Mars on July 21; the Pleiades star cluster on July 23; the planet Venus on July 26; and the bright star Pollux on July 27, 2022.

By the morning of Thursday, August 11, 2022, (the day of the full moon after next), as morning twilight begins at 5:14 a.m. EDT (2:14 a.m. PDT), four of the five visible planets will appear spread across the sky, with Saturn at 14 degrees above the southwestern horizon, Jupiter at 51 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon, Mars at 55 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon, and Venus at 5 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon. The full moon will set on the west-southwestern horizon below Saturn. The bright celestial object appearing closest to overhead will be Mars.

Detailed Daily Guide

Here is a more detailed, day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full moon after next. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and some of these details may differ for your location.

July 7-8

In some parts of Japan, the Tanabata or Star Festival is celebrated on July 7, the double seventh of the Gregorian Calendar.

On Thursday evening into early Friday morning, July 7 to 8, 2022, the bright star Spica will appear about 5 degrees to the lower right of the waxing gibbous moon. The Moon will be 34 degrees above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 9:47 p.m. EDT (6:47 p.m. PDT), and Spica will set first below the west-southwestern horizon after midnight at 12:56 a.m.

July 10-11

On Sunday evening into Monday morning, July 10 to 11, 2022, the bright star Antares will appear about 4 degrees to the lower right of the waxing gibbous moon. The Moon will be 26 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon as evening twilight ends at 9:46 p.m. EDT (6:46 p.m. PDT), will reach its highest in the sky for the night about 40 minutes later at 10:28 p.m., and Antares will set first below the west-southwestern horizon a little more than 4 hours after that at 2:51 a.m.

Monday morning, July 11, 2022, is the last morning that Mercury might possibly be visible in the glow of dawn for this apparition, as it will rise above the east-northeastern horizon at 5:20 a.m. EDT (2:20 a.m. PDT), just 32 minutes before sunrise at 5:52 a.m. As a practical matter, this really only applies to areas with very clear and dry air. For much of the U.S., our humid summers mean it will be hazy on the horizon and the glow of dawn will be too bright to see Mercury.

July 13: The Buck Supermoon

Wednesday morning, July 13, 2022, at 5:06 a.m. EDT (2:06 a.m. PDT), the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.

As mentioned above, the next full moon will be Wednesday afternoon, July 13, 2022, at 2:38 p.m. EDT (11:38 a.m. PDT). Since this is less than 10 hours after perigee, this will be a supermoon. The Moon will appear full for about three days, from early Tuesday morning through early Friday morning.

July 15-16

Friday night into Saturday morning, July 15 to 16, 2022, the planet Saturn will appear near the waning gibbous moon. As the Moon rises above the east-southeastern horizon Friday night at 10:34 p.m. EDT (7:34 p.m. PDT), Saturn will appear about 6 degrees above the Moon. The Moon will reach its highest in the sky for the night on Saturday morning at 3:46 a.m. with Saturn about 7 degrees to the right of the Moon, and morning twilight will begin about an hour later at 4:46 a.m.

On Saturday afternoon, July 16, 2022, the planet Mercury will pass on the far side of the Sun as seen from the Earth, called superior conjunction. Because Mercury orbits inside of the orbit of Earth it will be shifting from the morning sky to the evening sky and will begin emerging from the glow of the dusk on the western horizon sometime after July 23 (depending upon viewing conditions).

July 19

Tuesday morning, July 19, 2022, the bright planet Jupiter will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. Jupiter will appear about 3 degrees above the Moon at moonrise on the eastern horizon near midnight on Monday night at 11:58 p.m. EDT (8:58 p.m. PDT). Jupiter will appear about 5 degrees to the upper right of the Moon as morning twilight begins at 4:49 a.m.

July 20

Wednesday, July 20, 2022, is International Moon Day, marking the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon 53 years ago in 1969. The waning moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 10:19 a.m. EDT (7:19 a.m. PDT).

July 21

Thursday morning, July 21, 2022, the planet Mars will appear near the waning crescent moon. Mars will rise above the east-northeastern horizon about an hour after midnight at 1:01 a.m. EDT (10:01 p.m. PDT on July 20), appearing about 5 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. The pair will appear about 3 degrees apart by the time morning twilight begins at 4:51 a.m.

July 22

By Friday morning, July 22, 2022, the waning crescent moon will appear to have shifted to the other side of Mars (the Moon and Mars will appear at their closest midday on Thursday when we can’t see them). Mars will appear about 8 degrees to the upper right of the Moon around moonrise at 1:14 a.m. EDT (10:14 p.m. PDT on July 21) and the pair will appear to separate after that.

July 23

On Saturday morning, July 23, 2022, the Pleiades star cluster will appear about 4 degrees to the upper left of the waning crescent moon. The Moon will rise above the east-northeastern horizon at 1:44 a.m. EDT (10:44 p.m. PDT on July 22) about 3 hours before morning twilight begins at 4:53 a.m. In urban environments, it can be difficult to see this star cluster due to light pollution.

Saturday evening will be the first evening that Mercury will be above the west-northwestern horizon 30 minutes after sunset. (Although I’ve used this to estimate when Mercury may start being visible, I’ve found that for my location, at least, the high humidity of summer means the horizons are hazy or cloudy, increasing the glow of dusk and masking Mercury from sight until it is much higher in the sky.)

July 24

On Sunday morning, July 24, 2022, the bright star Aldebaran will appear about 8 degrees to the right of the waning crescent Moon. The Moon will rise first, then Aldebaran will rise above the east-northeastern horizon at 2:38 a.m. EDT (11:38 p.m. PDT on July 23) about 2 hours before morning twilight begins at 4:45 a.m.

July 26

Tuesday morning, July 26, 2022, the bright planet Venus will appear about 5 degrees below the waning crescent moon. The Moon will rise first with Venus rising above the east-northeastern horizon at 4:13 a.m. EDT (1:13 a.m. PDT) about 43 minutes before morning twilight begins at 4:56 a.m. At 6:22 a.m. EDT (3:22 a.m. PDT), the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from the Earth for this orbit.

July 27

Wednesday morning, July 27, 2022, if you have very clear skies and a clear view of the west-northwestern horizon (which can be unusual in urban environments and areas with high summertime humidity), you might be able to see the bright star Pollux about 4 degrees to the left of the thin, waning crescent moon. The Moon will rise first and Pollux will rise at 4:49 a.m. EDT (1:49 a.m. PDT) less than 10 minutes before morning twilight begins at 4:58 a.m. To see this pair you will probably need to wait until they are higher in the sky and use binoculars or a telescope due to the glow of dawn.

July 28

Thursday afternoon, July 28, 2022, at 1:55 p.m. EDT (10:55 a.m. PDT), will be the new moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from the Earth.

The day of, or the day after, the new moon marks the start of the new month for most lunisolar calendars. Sundown on Thursday, July 28, 2022, marks the start of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The seventh month of the Chinese calendar starts on Friday, July 29, (at midnight in China’s time zone, which is 12 hours ahead of EDT and 15 hours ahead of PDT).

In the Islamic calendar, the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Friday, July 29, 2022, will probably mark the end of the month of the Hajj and the beginning of Muharram, although this is one of four months for which the calendar dates are often adjusted by the religious authorities of Saudi Arabia after actual sightings of the lunar crescent. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic year and one of the four sacred months during which warfare is forbidden.

July 29

About 30 minutes (8:52 p.m. EDT / 5:52 p.m. PDT) after sunset (8:22 p.m.) on Friday, July 29, 2022, if you have very clear skies and a clear view of the west-northwestern horizon (which can be unusual in urban environments and areas with high summertime humidity), you might be able to see the planet Mercury about 3 degrees below the thin, waxing crescent moon. Mercury will set first about 15 minutes later at 9:09 p.m. Given the glow of dusk, you will probably need binoculars or a telescope to see this pair, if conditions in your area allow you to see them at all.

July 30

As noted above, the Southern Delta Aquariids are expected to peak early Saturday morning, July 30, 2022. While under ideal conditions (in a southern location far from light pollution and other light sources with a clear view of a sky that has no clouds or haze) you might be able to see about 16 meteors per hour, from more urban and northern locations like Washington, D.C., the chance of seeing these meteors is considerably reduced.

On Saturday, the Moon will have shifted to appear about 4 degrees above the bright star Regulus on the west-northwestern horizon. Mercury (which you will probably need binoculars to see) will set first at 9:10 p.m. EDT (6:10 p.m. PDT) about 17 minutes before evening twilight ends, then Regulus will set at 9:21 p.m. about 6 minutes before twilight ends, and the Moon will set at 9:52 p.m. about 25 minutes after twilight ends.

August 3-4

On Wednesday evening, August 3, 2022, the bright star Spica will appear about 4 degrees below the waxing crescent Moon. The Moon will appear about 22 degrees above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight at 9:22 p.m. EDT (6:22 p.m. PDT) and Spica will set first below the west-southwestern horizon about 2 hours later at 11:09 p.m.

The evenings of Wednesday and Thursday, August 3 and 4, 2022, will be when the planet Mercury and star Regulus will appear nearest to each other above the west-northwestern horizon after sunset. Unless the sky is very clear, you will need binoculars to see the pair, as they will set before evening twilight ends.

Thursday night, August 4, 2022, will be the night of the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar, known as the double seventh festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qixi in China, Chilseok in Korea, Thất Tịch in Vietnam. The Japanese Tanabata or Star Festival is related, but in some parts of Japan is now celebrated on July 7, the double seventh of the Gregorian Calendar.

With approximately seven days between each phase of the Moon, the seventh day of a lunisolar month is always on or near the first quarter Moon. There are many variations on the legend, but basically, they involve the three bright stars we know as the “Summer Triangle” and the Milky Way. The bright star Vega represents the weaver girl and the bright star Altair represents the cowherd. They fall in love and neglect their duties, so the Goddess of Heaven puts a wide river in the sky, represented by the Milky Way, to keep them apart. They are allowed to meet only one night a year, on the seventh night of the seventh month, when the bright star Deneb forms a bridge across the Milky Way. In some versions of the legend, the bridge is formed by magpies, so this is sometimes called the Magpie Festival.

August 5

On Friday morning, August 5, 2022, the Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 7:06 a.m. EDT (4:06 a.m. PDT).

August 6-7

Saturday morning, August 6, 2022, low on the east-northeastern horizon, the bright star Pollux will appear 6.5 degrees to the upper left of the bright planet, Venus. Venus will rise at 4:32 a.m. EDT (1:32 a.m. PDT) about a half-hour before morning twilight begins and will be 6 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon as twilight begins at 5:09 a.m. Venus will be shifting closer to the horizon each morning, while Pollux is shifting higher, and this will be the morning when the pair appear at their closest.

Saturday evening into early Sunday morning, August 6 to 7, 2022, the bright star Antares will appear about 6 degrees to the left of the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends at 9:18 p.m. EDT (6:18 p.m. PDT), the Moon will appear about 26 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon. The Moon will set below the west-southwestern horizon about 4 hours later at 1:04 a.m. on Sunday.

August 10

Wednesday afternoon, August 10, 2022, at 1:10 p.m. EDT (10:10 a.m. PDT), the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.

August 11: The Full Moon After Next

The full moon after next will be Thursday night, August 11, 2022, at 9:36 p.m. EDT (6:36 p.m. PDT). The Moon will appear full for about three days, from Wednesday morning through Saturday morning. The planet Saturn will appear near the Moon. Saturn will be near its brightest for the year, which will occur a few days later in mid-August.