The biggest and brightest supermoon of the year will be illuminating on Wednesday (July 13) night, according to NASA’s full moon guide for June and July 2022.
The July supermoon, also known as the “Buck” and “Thunder” moon, will reach perigee in its 27-day orbit to come closest to Earth at 5:06 a.m. and be a full moon at 2:38 p.m., continuing to shine brighter and appear larger than usual for the next few days.
“Wednesday morning, July 13, 2022, at 5:06 a.m. EDT, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit,” NASA said. “The full moon after next will be Wednesday afternoon, July 13, 2022, at 2:38 p.m. EDT. “Since this is less than 10 hours after perigee, this too will be a supermoon. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from early Tuesday (July 12) morning through early Friday (July 15) morning.”
​Supermoons illuminate at about 30% brighter and are an estimated 14% larger than the dimmest and farthest moon based on their proximity to Earth, as well as reflection of light.
The July supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of the year, as it’s positioned lower in the sky and closer to the Earth than others, including the Strawberry Supermoon, which was present on June 14.
There are typically just three or four supermoons visible during a calendar year, according to NASA. The last expected supermoon of 2022 will be present on August 11.
