July Buck Moon Illuminates The Skies Tonight. Here's When And How To Watch The First Supermoon Of 2023

July Supermoon 2023: The full Moon will appear in the skies at 7:39 am EDT (5:09 pm IST). It is also called Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Rose Moon, Hay Moon or Mead Moon.

Supermoon: When the Moon's orbit is closest to Earth, or at the perigee, at the same time the Moon is full, a supermoon occurs. The reason why a Moon at the perigee is called a supermoon is that Earth's natural satellite appears slightly brighter and larger than a regular full Moon. 

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July Supermoon 2023: The first supermoon of 2023 appears on July 3. It is also called Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Rose Moon, Hay Moon or Mead Moon. The full Moon will appear in the skies at 7:39 am EDT (5:09 pm IST), according to NASA. At this time, the full Moon will appear opposite the Sun in Earth-based longitude. 

However, the night of July 3 is not the only time people will see the full Moon. This is because the Moon will appear full through Tuesday night. 

When the Moon's orbit is closest to Earth, or at the perigee, at the same time the Moon is full, a supermoon occurs. The perigee is the closest point to Earth in the Moon's orbit. The reason why a Moon at the perigee is called a supermoon is that Earth's natural satellite appears slightly brighter and larger than a regular full Moon. 

When and how to watch the July supermoon online

Along with the supermoon, Venus and Mars will shine brightly in the  sky, appearing near each other. These planets will form a line with the bright star Regulus. Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes the herdsman or plowman, will also be visible. According to NASA, Arcturus, which is 36.7 light years from Earth, is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. 

People can watch the supermoon live online on the official YouTube channel of The Virtual Telescope. 

The next full Moon will illuminate the skies on August 1-2. This Moon will also appear full for three days.

The supermoon is also associated with various festivals and traditions. Hindus, Buddhists and Jains observe this full Moon as the Guru Full Moon, or Guru Purnima. Theravada Buddhists observe the full Moon as Asalha Puja. It is also known as Dharma Day or Esala Poya, and is an important festival which celebrates Buddha's first sermon after reaching Nirvana.

Full Moons fall on or near the middle of the lunar months in many traditional lunisolar or lunar calendars. The July full Moon is in the middle of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. This is also the month of the Hajj, or the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid-al-Adha is celebrated just before the full Moon, is the second-most important Islamic festival, and is one of the four sacred months during which fighting is forbidden.