2020’s Buck Moon as photographer in New York, US (Picture: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The next full moon is set to appear tonight – or more accurately, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It’s called a Buck Moon – sometimes a Thunder Moon – as it’s the seventh of the year.
But does that explain why the moon’s been looking orange over the last few nights?
And is there a good way to capture the natural phenomenon on camera, given that it’s so hard to snap a great picture of the moon?
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Buck Moon exactly?
Every month has one full moon – and the seventh, taking place in July, is called the Buck Moon. 2019’s Buck Moon as seen in London, UK (Picture: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
It has a bunch of alternative names, too. You may have heard of Thunder Moon, Hey Moon, Wort Moon or even Berry Moon.
There’s no specific date for the Buck Moon each year as the lunar cycle takes place over 29-and-a-half days.
But it’s a pretty cool sight if you can spot it.
In 2021, keep your eyes peeled in the early hours of Saturday, July 24, for the best view.
Why does the moon look orange?
Over the last few nights, people have taken to Twitter to express surprise that the moon looks orange.
Full orange moon#Manchester pic.twitter.com/ZW51pk8Onj— Arzoo (@ArzooAhmed) July 22, 2021
So, why is it looking orange lately? Well, it appears to be because the moon has been pretty low in the sky.
NASA’s website has a detailed guide to ‘moon illusions’ – when you see a moon that looks closer than usual, or extremely large, or a completely different colour.
In the guide, NASA’s Preston Dyches writes: ‘There’s one notable way in which the Moon’s appearance is actually different when it’s low in the sky.
‘It tends to have a more yellow or orange hue, compared to when it’s high overhead.
‘This happens because the Moon’s light travels a longer distance through the atmosphere.
‘As it travels a longer path, more of the shorter, bluer wavelengths of light are scattered away, leaving more of the longer, redder wavelengths.’
Are you seeing this moon this morning?! Full “Buck” Moon is colored orange thanks to all of that wildfire smoke from the west coast. pic.twitter.com/66kbHebbrg— Caitlin Harvey (@CaitlinHarveyWX) July 23, 2021
Another factor, the guide explains, is that pollution or dust can lead to a perceived change in colour.
That would explain why the moon has been looking especially orange in parts of the United States over the last few days, due to smoke from wildfires.
How to snap a great photo of the Buck Moon
Getting a good photo of the moon – or indeed the sun, or the sunset, and so on – is tricky.
On first thought, it would seem a smartphone isn’t the best choice for taking a photograph of something so far away.
But if you have an iPhone 11 or 12, your camera should automatically switch to Night Mode when you’re snapping away in low light. May 2020 supermoon captured on camera (Picture: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
If it doesn’t, Apple has a guide to using Night Mode to take pics here.
You could also try a smartphone app to help get the perfect moon shot – such as the simple-to-use Moon Globe, recommended by Sky At Night magazine.
The experts at Sky At Night also suggest an easy technique called afocal photography.
Any iPhone or smartphone users with access to a decent telescope can try taking their photo through its lens. Nothing else needed!
For pro shots, consider using a professional-standard camera, such as a DLSR, and shoot with a long lens.
To get a real close-up shot, you’ll need to do some serious zooming.
It’s probably a good idea to practice your moon photography before you go off to photograph the Buck Moon, or another rarer full moon, though.
Digital Camera World offer excellent tips for focusing your camera, and how to choose the best settings, for high quality moon pics.
MORE : A forthcoming ‘moon wobble’ will cause devastating flooding, Nasa says
MORE : Strawberry Moon 2021: What was the supermoon that appeared in late June?
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