Seeing the Full Moon at any time of night is a spectacular sight. The last time we saw one of these was in October of 2020. Although it's not the original definition of Blue Moon, these days, we also apply that title to the second of two Full Moons that occur within the same calendar month. There's another kind of Blue Moon, by the way. The next seasonal Blue Moon, after this year, will be on August 19, 2024, when we will again see a summer with four Full Moons. The last one was on May 18, 2019, when we saw four Full Moons in the spring of that year. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott SutherlandĪ 'seasonal Blue Moon' occurs every few years. Watch below: Out of This World - Meteors and moons! Keep an eye on the sky this summer For best results, give yourself about 20 minutes to let your eyes adjust to the dark. Viewers far from city lights or have a suburban backyard sheltered from streetlights have a better chance of seeing these meteors. They can even show up as very bright fireballs that streak across the night sky. Although we only see perhaps 10-20 meteors per hour from the Perseids at this time (so maybe 1 every 5 minutes or so), they can still be quite spectacular. We are now one week into the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. However, they are still easily visible on most nights this summer.Īlso, there's the potential for a special bonus to this view, as well. Each will reach their 'opposition' with Earth (being on the exact opposite side of Earth from the Sun) in August. These two 'stars' are the largest planets in our solar system - Jupiter and Saturn. Depending on how much light pollution you have in your sky, these could be the only two stars visible (although the one closer to the Moon may be a bit more challenging to see). When you look up at the Full Moon tonight, glance just to the left of it, and you will see two bright 'stars'. The July 23 Full Buck Moon has two bright companions in the sky. This Full Buck Moon will not be alone as it crosses the night sky. 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." "For Theravada Buddhists," NASA says, "this full Moon is Asalha Puha, also known as Dharma Day or Esala Poya, an important festival celebrating Buddha's first sermon. In India, Nepal, and Bhutan, those of the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religions call it the Guru Purnima (Guru Full Moon), which is a time to honour spiritual and academic gurus. In parts of Europe, the July Full Moon is also known as the Hay Moon or the Mead Moon. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott Sutherland This graphic collects all the relevant data about each Full Moon of 2021, including their popular names, whether they are a 'super' or 'micro' Moon, a perigee or apogee Full Moon, and whether they are remarkable in some other way (Blue Moon or Harvest Moon). "They also called this the Thunder Moon because of early Summer's frequent thunderstorms." "Early summer is normally when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur," they wrote. Read more: Why is the supermoon so compelling to us? WHAT IS A 'BUCK' MOON?Īccording to NASA, the Maine Farmer's Almanac attributes the name 'Buck Moon' to the Algonquin peoples of the US Northeast. If your weather allows for it tonight, head outside to see the Full Moon, two bright planets, plus a possible bonus thanks to the Perseid Meteor Shower. July's Full Buck Moon rises as the Sun sets on Friday, but it won't be alone.
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