The Super Buck moon

                                                            14-7-22

The night sky has yet another treat in store for skywatchers. Those who missed witnessing the glory of the Supermoon last month now can spot another supermoon, referred to as the Buck Moon. According to NASA, the Moon on July 13th will be at perigee, that is, its closest to the Earth for this orbit. This cosmic phenomenon is called a Supermoon which in other terms means that the moon appears slightly bigger and brighter than usual.

The July 13 full moon is referred to as the “Buck moon,” because it’s the time of year when deer, or bucks, start growing new antlers. On the same day, the supermoon will be visible at around 2:38 pm EDT (12:08 am IST, Thursday). On June 14, the supermoon sighted was called the “Strawberry Moon,” because it occurred during the strawberry harvest season.

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The full moon in July is often referred to as the "Buck Moon"—a name that refers to the fact that as summer peaks, the velvety antlers of male deer, which generally first appear in early spring, tend to finish growing, forming pointed tips and hardening. The bucks will subsequently shed their antlers before regrowing them again.

The July full moon is also sometimes referred to as the "Hay Moon" because at this time of year, farmers traditionally cut and cured hay to store for winter feed. Another name is the "Thunder Moon"—a reference to the frequent thunderstorms that occur in North America in July.