The full moon in Yorkshire – when to see it and why it looks orange

A huge full moon will grace our skies this weekend.

The Buck Moon, named after the full moon on display in July, is scheduled to rise at 10:05 PM on Sunday, July 21. Full moons occur approximately every 29.5 days as the Moon moves to the side of the Earth directly opposite the Sun. .

It reflects the sun’s rays from its entire face and appears as a bright, perfectly circular moon. This weekend’s amazing show might look bigger than other months, and it might look orange, too. Here we take a look at why it is and what this month gets its name from.

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Why is it called Buck Moon?

The name ‘Buck Moon’ refers to the period in July when male deer, known as ‘bucks’, begin to grow their antlers, marking the start of the hunting season, BBC Sky at Night reports.

But despite its distinctive name, it’s important to note that the “Buck-Moon” looks no different than other full moons throughout the year.

Why does it look so big?

An interesting phenomenon associated with the full moon is the “moon illusion,” which describes how a full moon near the horizon appears larger than expected.

This optical illusion is probably due to the proximity of the Moon to the objects in the foreground, emphasizing its size.

Why is it orange?

The Buck Moon can also appear orange, but this is due to your perspective from Earth when observing it, rather than the Moon itself. When the Moon is down, it can sometimes appear rusty and red.

This effect is caused by sunlight bouncing off the Moon and passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

When the Moon is closer to the horizon, it passes through a thicker part of the Earth’s atmosphere. This causes blue and violet light to scatter, making the moon appear redder when viewed from a low angle.

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