Watch the third, final and most dramatic “supermoon” of 2022 as it rises into summer skies on Thursday

If you want to see the full moon rise in all its glory, you need to get your timing right. However, if you want to see a “supermoon” appear in the east just after dark, you’ll need to be even more specific.

Best seen on this Thursday evening, this month’s full moon is one of those rare supermoons that only occur two to four times a year.

In fact, August’s “faulty moon” (yes, it’s a ridiculous name) is the last supermoon of 2022. The next one is a full 12 months away.

What are “super moons”?

Super moons occur because the moon has a slightly elliptical orbit around the earth. So there is a point each month when it is closest to our planet and therefore looks a little larger in the sky.

emphasis on easy. At around 7-14% larger, it’s actually almost impossible to say that a super moon is larger than a normal full moon.

Why this full moon can be particularly dramatic

The full ‘sturgeon moon’ coincides with the peak of the Perseids this year, so it may be possible to see ‘earth stripe’ shooting stars as dusk turns to night. Look deep northeast and you might get lucky.

So why all the fuss about Super Moons and specifically this week’s “Super Sturgeon Moon”? There are four reasons why you should see this week’s full moon – and it has to be at a very specific time.

The full moon looks best when it rises

By definition, a full moon is visible all night as it rises in the east as the sun sets in the west, and vice versa the next morning. However, it is not enough to go outside sometime in the evening to contemplate the full moon. You must see it as it appears over the eastern horizon.

It doesn’t appear as a gray-and-white sphere that’s too bright to see — as it will be for most of the night — instead you see it as a muted orange sphere that you can easily see detail on. In short, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

This Thursday, August 11, 2022, find out the exact moonrise and moonset times for your location and go to a location with a clear view of the east/east northeast horizon. You will be prepared to wait a few minutes for him to appear. Bring binoculars!

There is a higher chance of a clear horizon

It goes without saying that you need a clear cloud three horizon to see the full moon appear in all its glory. In general, clear skies are more likely at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, although it depends on where you live.

Sunset is currently around 8 p.m. in North America and Europe, with moonrise shortly thereafter (although the moon rises about 15 minutes later each night, so this only applies to August 11, 2022).

The “Moon Illusion”

This is a somewhat strange phenomenon that’s hard to explain, but perhaps the most important reason you need to get outside and see this week’s Super Moon rise. It has to do with how the human brain deals with context.

Look at a full moon high in the sky and it will look pretty small. If you stretch out your hand, you can even place your pinky over the moon and block its light. However, with the moon close to the horizon, everything changes. Our natural satellite isn’t getting any bigger, but it is appear to. Because when you look at the full moon rising next to buildings, trees, houses and mountains, your brain gets a context and compares the size of the moon to the environment. This makes the moon appear larger.

When is the next “supermoon”?

There will be two super moons in 2023 – August 1, 2023 and August 31, 2023. This makes the second a “blue moon” because it will be the second full moon in the same calendar month.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.