The evening sky will give Canadians an unobstructed view of the full moon tonight, a view that will be visible to stargazers around the world.
Tonight’s ‘male moon’, named after the time of year when male deer sprout their antlers, will be up all night, making it hard to miss, said Paul Delaney, professor of physics and in astronomy at York University, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Wednesday.
Terms for full moons are largely cultural and vary by region.
Visibility of the supermoon tonight will depend on local weather conditions, Delaney said, anticipating the moon to rise just as the sun sets on Wednesday.
“For people interested in photo ops, this is the best time because when the moon rises above your local horizon, it’s silhouetted against trees, houses, and things that are familiar to you,” did he declare.
“So now might be the best time to get a really good snapshot of the moon, but it will be available to you all night.”
A full moon occurs when the sun, earth, and moon line up in that order. As a result, the sun illuminates the entire face of the moon facing Earth.
The moon may appear larger and brighter than others this year, making it a ‘supermoon’, a term that generally refers to when a full moon is within 90% of its closest orbit. of the earth.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the male moon is the closest supermoon to Earth this year.
Unlike looking at the sun, Delaney says looking at the full moon is perfectly safe, although the brightness of the moon may mean your eyes will need some time to readjust to the darkness.
Viewers can also use binoculars to view the full moon.
With files from CNN