The evening sky will offer Canadians a stunning view of tonight’s full moon, which will be visible to stargazers around the world.
Tonight’s “buck moon,” named for the time of year when male deer grow antlers, will be all night, making it hard to miss, Paul Delaney, professor of physics and astronomy at York University, told CTVNews .ca in a phone interview Wednesday.
Full moon terms are largely cultural and vary by region.
Visibility of the supermoon tonight will depend on local weather conditions, Delaney said, expecting the moon to rise just as the sun sets on Wednesday.
“For people who are interested in photo ops, this is the best time because as the moon rises above your local horizon, it’s silhouetted against trees, houses and things you’re familiar with,” he said.
“So it’s probably the best time to get a really good picture of the moon, but it’s going to be there all night.”
A full moon occurs when the sun, earth, and moon line up in this order. As a result, the sun illuminates the entire face of the moon facing Earth.
This year, the moon may appear bigger and brighter than others, making it a “supermoon,” a term that usually refers to when the full moon is within 90 percent of its closest orbit to Earth .
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon is the supermoon that will come closest to Earth this year.
Unlike staring at the sun, Delaney says looking at the full moon is perfectly safe, although the moon’s brightness may mean your eyes will need a little time to adjust to the dark.
Viewers can also use binoculars to see the full moon.
With files from CNN
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