Written by Amy Beecham
The supermoon will be lighting up our skies for the last time in 2022 this evening. Here’s everything you need to know.
If you’ve taken a moment to stare into the sky over the past few nights, you may have noticed that the moon has seemed bigger and brighter. As romantic as it sounds and beautiful it is to witness, there’s actually an important astrological explanation: it’s a supermoon.
For anyone unfamiliar, supermoons are categorised as lunar events when the moon is at 360,000km or less away from Earth in its orbital path. While you may not have even been aware, we have actually just experienced three full supermoons in a row: the June full moon (aka the strawberry moon), the July full moon and the buck moon.
According to National World, a supermoon appears around 7% larger and 15% brighter than a standard full moon. Therefore the upcomingfull moon, named the sturgeon moon, will also be a supermoon, making it the fourth and last of the year.
What is the sturgeon moon?
The term sturgeon moon originates from the native American Algonquin tribes, who noticed sturgeon fish were more easily caught this time of year, according to Nasa. Alternative names for the August full moon include the corn moon, grain moon and lynx moon. However, the moon itself isn’t actually any bigger. Instead, it’s a kind of optical illusion whereby objects surrounding it, such as trees and buildings, make it look much bigger by comparison.
How to see the August supermoon
As seen from London, the sun will begin to set at 8.30pm with the sturgeon supermoon beginning to rise at 8.55pm in the southeast on Thursday 11 August. While you will be able to catch a glimpse of its glow at other times, the supermoon will officially reach its peak at 2:36am on the morning of 12 August. However, it will still be visible into the early hours of Friday morning (12 August) in the UK and throughout the weekend.
What does the supermoon actually mean for us?
Aside from its beauty, the full moon can actually affect our bodies too. Many people theorise that a full moon causes sleep disruption because of the amount of sunlight reflected back to Earth. Another hypothesis that has gained popularity over the years is that when the moon circles the Earth, it passes through the magnetotail and becomes negatively charged, and research suggests that humans are sensitive to low-level geomagnetic variations.
“Emotions run high during the full moon. It’s possible that you’ll experience stress and become a little more irritable than usual. You may find yourself lying awake at night or not sleeping as deeply as usual because the full moon also heralds a few sleep modifications,” explains Eoin Keenan, wellbeing expert and co-founder of CBD brand Goodrays.
To help mitigate any impact on your sleep cycle, Keenan suggests cutting back on screen time and reducing the amount of light you’re exposed to during the supermoon. This could look like a well-timed technology break at least 60 minutes before bed to allow your brain to wind down, or dimming your lights as the late afternoon begins to close in. Keenan advises that it’s critical to get some natural sunshine on the day of the full moon, too, so be prepared to swap some scroll-time for an IRL stroll in the sunshine.
Images: Getty/Rex Features
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