The Last Supermoon of 2022 Will Be Visible in the Skies Down Under Tonight (and Tomorrow Morning)
Take a gander at August's 'sturgeon' full moon, which'll peak at 11.35 am AEST on Friday, August 12.
If you've caught up with some of the highest-profile new movies in recent months, you might have noticed that looking up has been a big part of a few films. Top Gun: Maverick demanded it, while Don't Look Up grappled with the very idea of peering upwards — and the sky plays a significant role in fresh release Nope, too.
Tonight, on the evening of Thursday, August 11 Down Under, looking up should be on your agenda as well. Stare at the heavens with your own two eyes and you'll see a stunning sight — and it'll also be visible tomorrow morning, on Friday, August 12, too.
Another supermoon is upon us, and will officially be at its peak at 11.35 AEST on Friday — but if you train your peepers towards the sky this evening, you'll still be in for a glowing show.
While super full moons aren't particularly rare — several usually happen each year, and one occurred just last month — there is a good reason to peer upwards this time around. If you're wondering why, we've run through the details below.
WHAT IS IT?
If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — and because August's 2022's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), it's called a super full moon.
It's also a sturgeon moon, too, which doesn't refer to its shape or any other physical characteristics, but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, August is around the time that sturgeon fish start to show up in big numbers in North America's lakes. Of course, that doesn't apply in the southern hemisphere, but the name still sticks.
Also, this supermoon happens to the last one of 2022.
WHEN CAN I SEE IT?
As mentioned above, the sturgeon supermoon will officially be at its peak at 11.35am AEST tomorrow, Friday, August 12, Down Under — but thankfully it will be visible from Thursday night Australia and New Zealand time.
The moon does usually appear full for a few days each month, so if you already thought that the night sky looked a little brighter this week, that's why.
Still yet to catch a glimpse? You'll want to peek outside when it gets dark to feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. Head over to timeanddate.com for the relevant moonrise and moonset times for your area, with the moon rising at 4.22pm AEST on Thursday, August 11.
WHERE CAN I SEE IT?
You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies — so city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view.
Weather-wise, the Bureau of Meteorology advises that Sydney and Perth will be cloudy, Melbourne is in for a few showers, and the wet will increase in Adelaide. In Brisbane, though, clear skies await.
Over in NZ, Conditions are fine in Auckland, while Wellington can expect periods of rain.
Fancy checking it out online? The Virtual Telescope Project is set to stream the view from Rome at 3pm on Friday, August 12, too.
Top image: NASA/Joel Kowsky.
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