SUMMER is a bumper month for Full Moons with two in August.
And it’s a great opportunity to see the Moon at biggest and greatest.
This year we can expect one extra Full MoonGetty
So get your calendars out and start marking the next one.
When is the next Full Moon?
The Full Moon takes place at regular times throughout the year.
It the best chance to see the Moon shine a lot brighter than other times and can appear a lot bigger too.
The usual pattern is about once every 29.5 days, giving us about 12 a year.
But some years a 13th one is squeezed in – and 2023 is one of those years.
Each Full Moon is given a special name.
Here’s the dates to look out for in 2023.
Note that there are two to look forward to in August – one at the beginning of the month and another at the end.
January 6 – Wolf MoonFebruary 5 – Snow MoonMarch 7 – Worm MoonApril 6 – Pink MoonMay 5 – Flower MoonJune 3 – Strawberry MoonJuly 3 – Buck MoonAugust 1 – Sturgeon MoonAugust 30 – Blue MoonSeptember 29 – Harvest MoonOctober 28 – Hunter’s MoonNovember 27 – Beaver MoonDecember 26 – Cold Moon
Four of this year’s moons are classed as Super Moons, because they appear even bigger in the night sky.
All of these are still yet to happen.
The first is on July 3, followed by August 1, August 30 and September 29.
The Wolf Moon is a Micro Moon as it appears very far away.
When is the best time to see a Full Moon?
As with any Moon, the best time is at night.
An area with little light pollution from the ground makes it even better.
And be sure to check the weather forecast so no pesky clouds block your view.
What is a Super Moon?
A Super Moon is relatively rare, occurring just a few times a year.
It happens because of a combination of two different astronomical effects.
This is when a new or Full Moon coincides with the moon’s closet point to Earth in its monthly orbit (known officially as perigee).
A Moon has to come within 90 per cent of its closest approach to Earth to be formally defined as a super moon.
Find out more about science
Want to know more about the weird and wonderful world of science? From the Moon to the human body, we have you covered…
When is the next Full Moon?
What is a Super Moon?
What is SpaceX?
Where is the edge of space?
How many bones are in the human body?
How many chromosomes do humans have?
What causes a volcano to erupt?
Which sharks attack the most humans?
What are the conspiracy theories about the world ending?
All the UFO sightings and whether aliens are real
Which country has the most earthquakes?
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]