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Yahoo
07-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sturgeon Moon to rise over Britain this week and will appear full for two nights
This week, the Sturgeon Moon will shine out over Britain in the last full moon of summer and will be visible for two nights. This week, the Sturgeon Moon will shine out over Britain in the last full moon of summer - but it's a rather unusual one. While the moon is full, technically speaking on Saturday 9th August, it will also appear full at the same time on Friday. The reason is that in August, the moon lies low in the southern sky, according to Live Science, and the 'time difference' of moonrise between successive nights is relatively short - so the moon will appear full on both nights. When will the Sturgeon Moon rise? The moon will peak on the 9th August at 8.55am, but this means that it should be visible at dusk on both Friday and Saturday nights - and will still look impressive on Sunday. BBC Sky at Night magazine advises, 'If you do find a great spot to observe the Sturgeon Moon … you can see it again, weather permitting of course. 'There will be a very subtle difference in timing and position, so perhaps this is something you could try to observe for yourself.' Why is it called the Sturgeon moon? The names we use for full moons today (such as 'cold moon', 'wolf moon' and 'harvest moon') come to us indirectly from Native American traditions NASA's Gordon Johnston wrote: 'In the 1930s the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing 'Indian' names for the full moons, tying these names to the European months. The Sturgeon moon is named because the fish appears in large numbers in summer, and was named by North American fishing tribes. It's also sometimes known as the green corn moon, the grain moon (due to the harvest) or the red moon due to the reddish colour it can appear on summer nights. What is a full moon? Full moons occur when the Earth is directly in line between the moon and the sun. They take place when the Moon is completely illuminated by the Sun's rays. Why will the moon be lower in the sky? The moon will be low in the sky due to the fact that from the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is high in the sky during the day due to the tilt of Earth's axis, with the moon hugging the southern horizon all night. Another reason the moon will appear lower in the sky due to last December's major lunar standstill, which operates on an 18.6 year cycle. This means the moon's path across the sky is longer: 'major lunar standstills' occur when the tilt of the moon and the tilt of the Earth coincide. Archaeologist and historian Jennifer Wexler says, "Over several years, the limits of moonrise and moonset themselves gradually change, until they reach the point where the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset positions are at their maximum distance apart on the horizon. "This two-year period is what is known as a major lunar standstill, or lunistice, and it only occurs every 18.6 years. "Once a major standstill is reached, the distance between northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset can be exceptionally far apart, and it stays that way for around two years." Why will it be bigger and look orange? The moon will not actually be bigger, but will appear bigger because it is near the horizon, which makes people perceive it as larger, relatively speaking. The moon illusion occurs when the moon is near the horizon, and makes our satellite appear much bigger. The phenomenon has been known since ancient times but is still not fully understood. When the moon is low in the sky, it can appear reddish or an orange colour from Earth. This is caused by sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere after bouncing off the moon.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Best time to see spectacular orange ‘buck moon' over UK skies
The buck moon will rise in British skies on Thursday, and it should be a spectacular orange sight. Like last month's full moon, it will be low in the sky, due to last December's 'major lunar standstill', an event that occurs roughly every 18 years and means the moon reaches its most extreme positions on the horizon. The buck moon will be visible to the south, and could have an orangey hue due to hanging low in the sky. The names we use for full moons today (such as 'cold moon', 'wolf moon' and 'harvest moon') come to us indirectly from Native American traditions NASA's Gordon Johnston has previously explained: 'In the 1930s the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing 'Indian' names for the full moons, tying these names to the European months. NASA writes that the buck moon is so-called because: 'The Algonquin tribes of what is now the north-eastern United States called this the buck moon. Early summer is normally when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. They also called this the thunder moon because of early summer's frequent thunderstorms.' The July full moon is sometimes known as the 'hay moon' or 'mead moon' in Europe, after the fermented honey drink. It will rise on the on 10 July at 22:09 BST, and be visible in the south-southwest in the constellation Sagittarius. You'll be able to see it through the night, and it will set in the southwest in the hours before dawn. One reason the moon will appear lower in the sky is due to last December's major lunar standstill. This means the moon's path across the sky is longer: 'major lunar standstills' occur when the tilt of the moon and the tilt of the Earth coincide. Archaeologist and historian Jennifer Wexler told the BBC: "Over several years, the limits of moonrise and moonset themselves gradually change, until they reach the point where the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset positions are at their maximum distance apart on the horizon. "This two-year period is what is known as a major lunar standstill, or lunistice, and it only occurs every 18.6 years. "Once a major standstill is reached, the distance between northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset can be exceptionally far apart, and it stays that way for around two years." The moon will not actually be bigger, but will appear bigger because it is near the horizon, which makes people perceive it as larger, relatively speaking. The phenomenon has been known since ancient times but is still not fully understood. When the moon is low in the sky, it can appear reddish or an orange colour from Earth. This is caused by sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere after bouncing off the moon.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Best time to see spectacular orange ‘buck moon' over UK skies
The buck moon will rise in British skies on Thursday, and it should be a spectacular orange sight. Like last month's full moon, it will be low in the sky, due to last December's 'major lunar standstill', an event that occurs roughly every 18 years and means the moon reaches its most extreme positions on the horizon. The buck moon will be visible to the south, and could have an orangey hue due to hanging low in the sky. The names we use for full moons today (such as 'cold moon', 'wolf moon' and 'harvest moon') come to us indirectly from Native American traditions NASA's Gordon Johnston has previously explained: 'In the 1930s the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing 'Indian' names for the full moons, tying these names to the European months. NASA writes that the buck moon is so-called because: 'The Algonquin tribes of what is now the north-eastern United States called this the buck moon. Early summer is normally when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. They also called this the thunder moon because of early summer's frequent thunderstorms.' The July full moon is sometimes known as the 'hay moon' or 'mead moon' in Europe, after the fermented honey drink. It will rise on the on 10 July at 22:09 BST, and be visible in the south-southwest in the constellation Sagittarius. You'll be able to see it through the night, and it will set in the southwest in the hours before dawn. One reason the moon will appear lower in the sky is due to last December's major lunar standstill. This means the moon's path across the sky is longer: 'major lunar standstills' occur when the tilt of the moon and the tilt of the Earth coincide. Archaeologist and historian Jennifer Wexler told the BBC: "Over several years, the limits of moonrise and moonset themselves gradually change, until they reach the point where the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset positions are at their maximum distance apart on the horizon. "This two-year period is what is known as a major lunar standstill, or lunistice, and it only occurs every 18.6 years. "Once a major standstill is reached, the distance between northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset can be exceptionally far apart, and it stays that way for around two years." The moon will not actually be bigger, but will appear bigger because it is near the horizon, which makes people perceive it as larger, relatively speaking. The phenomenon has been known since ancient times but is still not fully understood. When the moon is low in the sky, it can appear reddish or an orange colour from Earth. This is caused by sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere after bouncing off the moon.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see the flower moon in UK skies next week
The flower moon will rise over the UK on 12 May, but will be a little smaller than most full moons. A micromoon rises behind the so-called liver bird, the symbol of Liverpool that sits on top of the city's Royal Liver Building. (Alamy) The flower moon will rise over British skies on 12 May, but it will be a little smaller than most full moons, making it what is known as a 'micromoon'. The moon will appear full over most of the weekend, but will be at its best on Monday night. A full moon is when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky: this is because the whole side of the moon facing us on Earth is lit up by the sun's rays. Because the moon does not produce its own light, we only see the parts of it that are lit up by other objects like the sun. This one will appear smaller, as it's further away. Where and when is the best time to see it? The flower moon will rise over the UK at 9.28pm BST on 12 May, according to Sky at Night. The moon will rise in the southeast beneath the constellation Libra and will not rise very high in the sky, and will stay in the southern part of the sky, setting in the southwest before dawn. A micromoon rises over the Czech capital of Prague last month. (Alamy) Why is it called the flower moon? The names we use for full moons today (such as cold moon, wolf moon and harvest moon) come to us indirectly from Native American traditions. Nasa's Gordon Johnston wrote: 'In the 1930s, the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing Indian names for the full moons, tying these names to the European months." The flower moon is named as such because it coincides with a time of year when flowers are abundant – it's also known as the corn-planting moon or milk moon, according to NASA. What is a micromoon? In contrast to the better-known supermoon, this month's flower moon will be a "micromoon". This means it appears very slightly smaller from Earth. Both supermoons and micromoons are due to the fact that the moon's orbit is not a circle – it's elliptical. This means that the moon is sometimes closer to Earth and sometimes further away - a micromoon occurs when a full moon happens when it is furthest away from the Earth.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see ‘pink micromoon' light up UK skies this weekend
This month will see a very special full moon rise on Sunday night - a pink micromoon. Depending on the weather, the micromoon should be very visible from Britain on Sunday evening. The moon should look 'bold and bright' in the night sky, Sky at Night magazine promises. Sadly, pink moons are not actually pink. In reality, it's more likely to be an orangey colour as the full moon rises over the horizon. Instead, the term 'pink moon' comes from American terminology for different moons of the year. NASA's Gordon Johnston writes, 'The Maine Farmer's Almanac first published Native American names for the full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used." The term 'Pink Moon' comes from a spring flower, Wild Ground Phlox, also known as Moss Phlox which grows in North America, and appears at the time of April's full moon. The full moon is linked to the date of Easter, with Easter falling on the Sunday after the full moon that appears after the spring equinox. The rules date from the First Council of Nicaea in 325BC, with the council deciding that the moon would help pilgrims travel for Easter. In contrast to the better-known 'supermoon', the Pink Moon this month will be a 'micromoon'. Both supermoons and micromoons are due to the fact that the Moon's orbit is not a circle - it's elliptical. This means that the Moon is sometimes closer to Earth and sometimes further away - a 'micromoon' occurs when a Full Moon occurs when the Earth is furthest away. The scientific term is 'apogee moon'. NASA says that 'micromoon' 'is a recently coined term to describe the full moon near apogee. Apogean full moon is more descriptive of 'micromoon' events but is, perhaps, more limited in time by its specification of apogee.' On 13th April, the Pink Moon will rise at 21:08 BST. The moon will reach its peak brightness at 1.22am BST, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
