This weekend is going to be one of the most special of the whole year in terms of astronomical events. And it is that the so-called full moon ‘of the deer’ arrives, which will reach its maximum splendor the night of Friday to Saturday.
Why is the full moon called ‘the deer’?
Throughout the year there are usually a total of 12 full moons, which are given names that in ancient times served different civilizations as a guide to locate on the calendar, plant crops or go hunting. Why is this the full moon called ‘the deer’? No, it is not that the natural satellite appears to be in the shape of the animal.
According to the magazine ‘Old Famers Almanac’, it was the Native Americans who baptized it that way since at this time of year the antlers of male deer are in full growth stage. It should be remembered that these animals shed their horns annually, and the new ones are always larger than the previous ones.
In the 1930s the ‘Maine Farmers Almanac’ was published, a book in which all the names given to the full moons of each month of the year by the native peoples of Canada, the United States and Mexico .
When and how to see it?
The website ‘Time and Date’ points out that the best time to see the full moon will be at 4:36 am on the night of July 23-24 . Now, the moon with all its illuminated surface can be seen “from Thursday night to Sunday morning,” according to NASA.
The National Geographic Institute (IGN) launches a series of recommendations to be able to observe it in all its splendor. The first and most important thing is to find an observation site where the sky is very dark and there are no obstacles on the horizon, such as mountains, buildings or trees. In addition, it is better not to use any optical instruments because they greatly limit the field of view.
The good news is that observing the full ‘deer’ moon will be easy because the skies will be completely clear tonight in most of Spain.
What are the upcoming astronomical events? The Perseids , the best meteor shower of the year, will reach its peak of activity between August 11 and 13. Then, there will be a full moon again on the night of August 22-23.
