INDIANAPOLIS — What is a “supermoon” and why are people talking about it for the second consecutive month?
Supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the time it is closest to Earth. They “only happen three to four times a year and always appear consecutively," according to astronomers at NASA.
In June, the Ojibwe-nicknamed “Strawberry Moon” caught the eye of many, and on Wednesday, the “Buck Moon” will take place. This month's supermoon earned its nickname in correlation with the time of year male deer grow new antlers.
The Ojibwe have also nicknamed this month’s supermoon the “Hay Moon,” “Cherry’s Blackening Moon” and the “Raspberry Moon."
At 5:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, the supermoon will arrive at its closest point to Earth for 2022 (221,993 miles away), making it worth looking at as it appears much brighter and larger than other full moons.
Yet, the supermoon won’t be full at 5:05 a.m. Instead, it will still be a waxing gibbous trying to reach its “full potential.” The moon will officially become full hours later, around 2:37 p.m. EDT.
(Editor's note: This story has been edited to remove a reference to the last supermoon of 2022. There will be another supermoon on Aug. 11, 2022.)