The moon will appear full Tuesday morning through early Friday, according to NASA. It will peak on Wednesday at 2:48 PM ET, but won’t be fully visible in North America until after moonrise. For those who catch a glimpse, it may appear bigger and brighter than other moons in 2022 because it is a supermoon. Although there is no single definition of a “supermoon,” the term generally refers to a full moon that may be more prominent than others because it is within 90% of its closest orbit to Earth. The Beech Moon is the supermoon that will come closest to Earth this year, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The clearest views of July’s full moon in the U.S. will be on the West Coast, the Great Plains and the Midwest, CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray said. A cold front will move into the southeastern United States on July 12 and 13, potentially bringing thunderstorms and rain across the region. Parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado are also expecting thunderstorms early this week, she added.
“Unlike some astronomical events, there’s no (situation where) you have to look at it right now or else miss it,” said Noah Petro, director of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory. “There really isn’t a time when you should be looking at it to get the most out of the full moon. If it’s cloudy and you don’t want to be out, just go one of the following evenings.”
For the clearest view of the moon, Petro recommends avoiding areas surrounded by tall buildings and dense forests. The Old Farmer’s Almanac can help you find out what time the moon rises and sets in your location.
This full moon is best known as a deer moon because male deer, or stags, fully grow their antlers in July, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Bucks’ antlers shed and regrow each year, becoming larger as the animals age.
The full moon in July is known by a few other names.
The Tlingit people called it the salmon moon because the fish often returned to the Pacific Northwest coast at this time and were ready to be caught. For the western Abenaki, it is the thunder moon in connection with the frequent thunderstorms at this time of year.
In Europe, the July moon is often called a hay moon for the June and July haying season, according to NASA.
The full moon in July corresponds to the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain festival of Guru Purnima, a celebration of clearing the mind and honoring spiritual and academic gurus.
To Petro and other space enthusiasts, this moon is called the moon of Apollo 11. Apollo 11 was the first mission to send humans to the lunar surface. The mission was launched on July 16, 1969 and landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
There will be five more full moons in 2022, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac:
• August 11: Sturgeon Moon
• September 10: Harvest Moon
• October 9: Hunter’s Moon
• November 8: Beaver Moon
• December 7: Cold Moon
These are the popular names associated with monthly full moons, but the meaning of each may vary among Native American tribes.
Lunar and solar eclipses
There will be another total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but blocks only part of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely, as sunlight can damage the eye.
A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to residents of Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Northeast Africa, the Middle East, Western Asia, India and Western China. This partial solar eclipse will not be visible from North America.
A total lunar eclipse will also be visible for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America, and North America on Nov. 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET, but the moon will set for those in the eastern regions of North America during this time.
Meteor showers
Check out the remaining meteor showers that will peak in 2022:
• Southern Delta Aquariums: July 29 to 30
• Alpha Capricorn: July 30 to 31
• Perseids: August 11 to 12
• Orionids: October 20 to 21
• Southern Taurides: November 4-5
• Northern Taurides: November 11 to 12
• Leonidas: November 17-18
• Gemini: December 13-14
• Ursidis: December 21 to 22
If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a location that isn’t littered with city lights to get the best view.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes—without looking at your phone or other electronics—to adjust to the darkness so that the meteors are easier to spot.
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