What are super and buck moons?

A super moon captured over La Rocque Harbour in Grouville just before 10pm on Wednesday 13 July. Credit: Sid Ahlawat / @sid_ahlawat on Instagram

You may have spotted the moon was an unusual colour and looked brighter last night.

Yesterday evening (13 July) we saw the closest full super moon of 2022.

A super moon is the result of a full moon happening when it is near its closest point to the Earth.

Super moons affect earthly tides, with the highest tides typically arriving a day or so after a full super moon.

The super moon above La Rocque Harbour in Grouville. Credit: Sid Ahlawat / @sid_ahlawat on Instagram

Full moons are visible all night, rising along the eastern horizon at sunset and setting in the west near sunrise.

At full moon, the sun, Earth and moon are aligned in space with Earth in the middle.

July’s full moon is known as the buck moon because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of the year.