buck moon 2020

Full buck moon will shine bright over Canada during first weekend in July

Skywatchers in Canada are in for a treat this weekend as parts of the country will be witness to a special partial penumbral eclipse that will include a buck moon, plus a few more surprises.

Beginning tonight at around 9 or 10 p.m. and into early Sunday morning, people in North and South America and parts of southwestern Europe and Africa can see a lunar eclipse wherein only 30 per cent of the moon will be visible as the earth casts its shadow over it.

During the eclipse there will be a buck moon, named so by the Old Farmer's Almanac because a buck's antler's are fully grown by this time of year.

"According to this almanac, as the full Moon in July and the first full Moon of summer, the Algonquin tribes of what is now the northeastern United States called this full Moon the Buck Moon." writes NASA Science.

"Early summer is normally when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. They also called this the Thunder Moon because of early summer's frequent thunderstorms."

Best of all, later on Sunday night around 10 p.m., both Jupiter and Saturn will also be making an appearance during this celestial event, hanging out on either side of the moon.

The moon has been enjoying quite the weekend already, growing full from Friday night and remaining so until Monday morning, in addition to eclipses and visits from other planets.

A telescope is recommended as the best way to see the action in full when it unfolds in the night sky to the south-southeast, but a clear vantage point will do just fine.

Lead photo by

bcterp2


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