Where’s the best place to see the supermoon in the Gig Harbor area? Here are some tips
Catch the next supermoon as it rises July 13.
This is the third supermoon of 2022 and is known as a buck moon. It will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year.
A supermoon is a full moon that’s close to the Earth in its orbit. Because it’s close and a full moon, it looks especially big.
“Buck moon” is a reference to the time of year when new antlers are growing on male deer. Last month’s supermoon on June 14 was the “strawberry moon,” because it was a full moon at strawberry harvest time.
“Probably the best time to see the moon to exaggerate how big it is would be at moonrise or moonset,” Thomas Gomez, astronomy professor at Tacoma Community College, told The Gateway Tuesday. “Ordinarily when you see the moon near the horizon, it looks big due to an optical illusion. With it being a supermoon, it will look especially big. Therefore the best time to see it will be at moonrise, which on July 13 will occur around 8:54 p.m., or moonset really early in the morning around 5 a.m. the morning of July 14.”
The supermoon will be visible all night long. As long as it’s not cloudy and you have an unobstructed view to the south, you’ll be able to see it just fine, Gomez said.
Asked about local parks with a good view, Gomez said getting to a place with low terrain, few trees around and a view toward Mount Rainier should set visitors up nicely for a happy viewing.
If you’re looking for places to watch this week’s supermoon, here are some ideas:
All parks are open 7 a.m. to dusk.
