Latest news with #MoonIllusion
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Did you miss the full Buck moon? Enjoy Friday's moon illusion thanks to Louisville's clearer skies
If you missed Thursday's full Buck moon shining over Louisville, not to worry! Friday night's moon will be shining at 99% illumination, according to NASA. Louisville residents also should have a fairly good view of the moon thanks to mostly clear skies, which can help with experiencing the "Moon Illusion." Here's what Kentucky skywatchers should know. Story continues after photo gallery. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Louisville area will happen by roughly 10:11 p.m. Friday, July 11, crossing the meridian at 2:12 a.m. before setting at 6:56 a.m. Saturday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online. There's something neat that happens when the full moon is closer to the horizon; it looks HUGE. Especially when you glimpse it poking out above a treeline, mountains, buildings or bodies of water. But here's the thing: It's an optical illusion. The full moon isn't larger when it's near the horizon any more than when it's positioned directly overhead, writes NASA. Our brain tricks us into thinking the moon is bigger because of how we perceive its depth in relation to the other objects around it. This phenomenon is known as the "Moon Illusion." You can prove the illusion for yourself by changing the way you look at the moon: First, look at the full moon normally when it's close to the horizon. Next, gaze at it through a cardboard tube, blocking out everything except the moon. Or try looking at the full moon while upside down, which can be done if you bend over and look back between your legs, or, if you've got it in your yard, leaning over backwards while seated on a swing. In either case, the moon won't appear as big as it once seemed. July's full moon is going to appear lower on the horizon. The reason is that the Earth is in the midst of "a major lunar standstill," which has to do with the moon's orbit around the Earth. "It's all about the inclination of the moon's orbit, which undergoes an 18.6-year cycle," writes EarthSky's John Jardine Goss. "The cycle happens because the moon's orbit is being slowly dragged around — mostly due to the pull of the sun — every 18.6 years." Skies around the Louisville area are expected to be mostly clear Friday night with lows around 75 in the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday, July 10 is when the full Buck Moon charges its way into the night sky, according to NASA. The moon's phases in July 2025 are: 🌓 First Quarter: July 2. 🌕 Full Moon: July 10. 🌗 Last Quarter: July 18. 🌑 New Moon: July 24. A male deer, or buck's antlers were in full growth mode around this time in July, writes the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for July's full moon from Native American tribes include the Salmon Moon, Thunder Moon, and Halfway Summer Moon. You may have noticed the moon occasionally takes on a dramatic shade of orange or red in the night sky. That's because of how sunlight strikes the moon's surface after passing through our atmosphere. When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface. Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blues and violets, scatter more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, which include red and orange. The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, the redder the moon appears. The Milky Way can best be viewed somewhere far away from bright city lights. Find a dark, safe spot out in the country where you can see more stars in the sky. If possible, head to Mammoth Cave National Park, roughly 90 miles south of Louisville, which is an International Dark Sky location and therefore a great place for stargazing. According to NASA, traces of the Milky Way will appear as a "faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south." If you plan on observing the sky this month, writes NASA, keep the following dates in mind for July 2025: July 21 & 22 – Moon, Venus & Jupiter – You can find the crescent moon and the planet Venus toward the east in the morning sky. With a clear view toward the horizon you can also spot Jupiter low in the sky. July 28 – Moon & Mars – The crescent Moon appears right next to Mars after sunset. All month – Constellation: Aquila – You can spot the Eagle constellation, Aquila, in the eastern part of the sky during the first half of the night, writes NASA. Its brightest star, Altair, is the southernmost star in the Summer Triangle, which is an easy-to-locate star pattern in Northern Hemisphere summer skies. All month – Milky Way core: The bright central bulge of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is visible all night through August. It is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south. The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations. SkyView Lite for iPhone | Google Play Star Walk 2 for iPhone | Google Play Star Chart for iPhone | Google Play for iPhone | Google Play The full Sturgeon Moon should reach peak illumination by Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. When is the next full moon?: Dates for every one in 2025 and what time you can see them. John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@ Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Missed Thursday's full Buck moon? You can still enjoy the moon illusion
The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
Buck moon shines over Greece's ancient Temple of Poseidon
July's "Buck Moon" glistened over Greece 's 2,500-year-old Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion late on Thursday, 10 July. The full moon shone brightly above the ancient ruins, once a key religious and strategic site, creating a striking scene. Famous for its sunsets and historic significance, the temple overlooks the Aegean Sea. This year's Buck Moon is notable as it is one of the most distant full moons of 2025, appearing slightly smaller in the sky. It also coincides with a period of major lunar standstill, meaning the Moon's path is unusually low in the sky, which can amplify the so-called 'Moon illusion' – an optical effect that makes the Moon appear dramatically larger when close to the horizon.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- The Independent
Buck moon 2025: How to see July's full moon tonight
July's full moon will rise over mostly clear skies in the UK on Thursday, offering sky gazers a great opportunity to witness the celestial event. The full moon, known as the Buck Moon, will officially reach its peak illumination at 9:37 pm BST (4:37 pm EDT), but it will become visible to most observers shortly after sunset. This year's Buck Moon is notable for several reasons. Not only is it the most distant full moon of 2025, appearing slightly smaller in the sky (a so-called "micromoon"), but it also coincides with a period of major lunar standstill. This means the Moon's path is unusually low in the sky, which can amplify the so-called 'Moon illusion' – an optical effect that makes the Moon appear dramatically larger when close to the horizon. Traditionally, July's full moon is also known as the Thunder Moon, due to the prevalence of summer storms across North America. While the name doesn't carry meteorological weight, it highlights the rich folklore associated with lunar cycles. In China, this month's full moon is sometimes referred to as the Hungry Ghost Moon. For the best viewing experience, experts recommend finding a clear vantage point with minimal light pollution and an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon. Observing the Moon as it rises is often the most visually impressive, when atmospheric distortion gives it a golden or orange hue. The Buck Moon will remain bright for a day before and after its peak, giving plenty of opportunity to take in the sight – even if clouds partially interrupt it over the coming days.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First Full Moon of Summer 2025 shines this week
Do you have reasonably clear skies during the latter half of this week? If so, take a few minutes to look towards the sky, and witness the beauty of the Full Buck Moon. July 2025's Full Moon occurs at exactly 20:39 UTC, or 4:39 p.m. EDT, on the 10th. This view of the Buck Moon was captured by Matt Melnyk on July 13, 2022 from Calgary, Alberta, and uploaded to The Weather Network's UGC gallery. Don't be too focused on seeing it at that precise moment, though. The side of the Moon that perpetually faces Earth will appear full — over 99 per cent illuminated by the Sun — from after midnight on the morning of July 10, all night long from moonrise to moonset on the night of the 10th to 11th, and even as the Moon rises again on the evening of the 11th. This is the first of three Full Moons for Summer 2025. It is also the second of four 'normal' sized Full Moons that span the season and into early Fall, following a string of 'Micromoons' in the spring, and before the upcoming trio of 'Supermoons' that will close out the year. The three Full Moons of Summer 2025. Although the September 7-8 Corn Moon does produce a Total Lunar Eclipse, the event will not be directly visible from anywhere in Canada. (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott Sutherland) However, if you'd like to see the Moon look exceptionally big, be sure to find it in the eastern sky just after sunset, or in the western sky just before sunrise. In either case, a mysterious effect known as the Moon Illusion will make our celestial companion look huge! READ MORE: With the exception of the occasional Blue Moon, each Full Moon we see during the year has its own popular name. The publishers of the Old Farmer's Almanac gathered these names together in the early 20th century, inspired by Colonial and European folklore, but mostly by the indigenous peoples of what is now the northeastern United States and the Great Lakes region. This graphic collects all the relevant data for the 12 Full Moons of 2025. (Scott Sutherland/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. Supermoon and Micromoon data courtesy Fred Espenak) According to the Old Farmer's Almanac: "The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by." Although the name is most often used just to describe this particular Full Moon, it refers to far more than just this one phase. Like other advanced cultures around the world, the indigenous peoples of North America used a sophisticated lunar calendar to track time. For example, the Anishinaabe visualized their calendar using the pattern of plates on the shell of a turtle. The 28 small plates around the shell's edge corresponded to the days of each lunar cycle, and the 13 large plates on the turtle's back were the 13 lunar months of the year. DON'T MISS: Each of the 13 moons was given a name, similar to the months of the Gregorian calendar. However, whereas the names of the Gregorian months came from gods, rulers, and their numerical order in the calendar, indigenous names for the moons were taken from the aspect of nature that affected the peoples' lives at that time of year. Coincidentally, the Buck Moon most often lines up with the month of July in the Gregorian calendar. As shown below, though, it does not usually match up perfectly with the calendar month. The phases of the Buck Moon in 2025, from the June 25 New Moon through the July 23 Waning Crescent Moon. (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott Sutherland) (Thumbnail image shows the Full Buck Moon on June 30, 2024, taken by Lisa O'Driscoll from Deer Lake, Newfoundland.) Click here to view the video
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Moon Illusion' will appear in the night sky TOMORROW... here's how to see the visual phenomenon
Skywatchers are in for a treat when the summer's first full moon creates an illusion in the night sky. Although the moon reaches its full phase on Thursday at 4:36pm ET, it will appear most dramatic as it rises above the horizon after sunset, glowing with a striking orange hue and seeming larger than usual. This is known as the 'Moon Illusion,' a rare visual phenomenon that plays a trick on the mind. As the moon hovers near the horizon, the human brain compares it to nearby objects like trees, buildings, or mountains, making it appear far bigger than when it's high overhead in the empty sky. To experience the moon illusion for yourself, start by looking at the full moon, normally when it's near the horizon. Then, try viewing it through a cardboard tube to block out surrounding objects, which helps isolate the moon and reduces the illusion. You can also look at the moon upside down by bending over and peering through your legs, or, if you have access to one, leaning backward while seated on a swing. NASA says the moon typically looks orange or red near the horizon because Earth's thick atmosphere scatters blue light, letting the warmer colors through, the same reason sunsets look red. Thursday also marks as the moon's farthest distance from the sun in 2025, as it comes just days after Earth hit aphelion, the point in its orbit farthest from the sun. On average, the moon is about 92.9 million miles from the sun. But during the Buck Moon, it will be roughly 94.5 million miles away. In summer, the sun takes a high path across the sky during the day. The moon, on the other hand, takes the opposite path at night. So instead of being high overhead, it moves in a lower arc closer to the horizon. Because it stays low in the sky all night, you can see it for longer and from more places, even if you're in a city or surrounded by buildings or trees. So when people say this full moon gives some of the best views of the year, they're talking about how easy and striking it is to watch, just because of where it travels in the sky. The position of this moon will make it more special, as it will be unusually low in the sky at night. This is because a full moon always appears directly opposite to the sun. Since the sun is still riding after the June's summer solstice, which is the longest day time of the year, the moon will be hugging the horizon. The moon's unusual low path is a direct result of its 18.6-year lunar cycle, known as a lunistice, a point when the moon's orbit tilts to its greatest angle relative to Earth's equator. This tilt means the moon rises and sets farther north or south on the horizon than usual, following a shallower or higher arc depending on the season. NASA explains this occurs because the moon's tilted orbit interacts with Earth's own tilted axis and orbit around the sun, causing long-term shifts in the moon's apparent trajectory. The name 'Buck Moon' comes from a seasonal behavior in North America. July is when male deer, which is known as Buck, fully grows their new antlers. Other Indigenous groups refer to it as the Thunder Moon, for the seasonal summer storms, or Salmon Moon and Raspberry Moon, tied to harvesting. European names include the Hay Moon, Mead Moon, and Herb Moon, linked to midsummer farming and festivals. While the name doesn't describe the moon's color, just like the previous month Strawberry Moon, the Buck Moon is known for its visual impact, especially when viewed from open fields, hilltops, or coastal areas with a clear southeast horizon. No telescope or binoculars are necessary, any star-gazer can notice the size and color difference compared to a typical high-riding moon. This moon's low track and striking appearance are part of a long-term lunar rhythm.
