Full Buck Moon Is A Supermoon: When To Watch In MI

MICHIGAN — Michiganders who enjoy such dreamy pursuits are in for a special treat, as July's full buck moon will rise on Wednesday, July 13.

July’s full moon, also called the Buck Moon, will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year. The moon will appear full for about three days from the morning of Tuesday, July 12 to the morning of Friday, July 15.

It reaches peak illumination at 2:39 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Wednesday but will be well below the horizon when that happens. Plan on looking toward the southeast sky after sunset to see it rise in the sky.

The best time to enjoy the supermoon is right after the moon rises since it appears larger because the moon is low and closer to the horizon. The supermoon will rise Wednesday at 9:43 p.m. in metro Detroit area and most of Michigan.

Most of state, including the metro Detroit area will be under clear skies Wednesday night, giving Michiganders the best opportunity to see the supermoon, meteorologists said.

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If you miss it, there’s one more chance this summer to see a full moon that qualifies as a supermoon. The full sturgeon moon in August will also be a supermoon.

Supermoon isn’t an astronomical term, but one coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to explain the effect of perigee — the moon’s closest approach to Earth in a given orbit — when it occurs during a full moon.

The July full moon is called a bull buck moon because it’s the time of year the antlers of male deer are in full growth. Deer shed and regrow their antlers every year, “producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by,” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

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