Night owls across the Boston area have been getting a special treat this week as the biggest full moon of the year has made for some dazzling viewing.
The Buck Moon, as July's full moon is known, is when the moon is at its closest point in the year, causing it to appear brighter and larger.
No, the moon didn’t grow in size. A supermoon occurs when the moon orbits closest to the Earth at the same time it’s full. Even at the closest point, the moon is still roughly 222,000 miles away from Earth. Compare that to the farthest point (apogee) at 253,000 miles.
Optimal viewing time for the supermoon was just after sunset on Wednesday, but the moon will still be full through Friday morning, giving New Englanders one more chance to check it out.
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The name Buck Moon comes from the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, which began naming full moons in the 1930s. The almanac says that Native American tribes called it that because it coincides with early summer, as new antlers push out of the foreheads of buck deer.
