MINNEAPOLIS — What is a “supermoon” and why are people talking about it for the second straight 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. But KARE 11 meteorologist Laura Betker says only two supermoons will appear high in the sky in 2022.
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 4:05 a.m. 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 4:05 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 1:37 p.m.
This visual moment comes just at the right time, KARE11’s weather team says. Both Tuesday and Wednesday night will be mostly clear, making viewing conditions optimal for this “rare” event.
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