Full Moon Magic: Belize's Next Show

The next full moon in Belize will be on 18 September 2024. This will be a supermoon, and the second of two full moons in the month. The first full moon in September will be a partial lunar eclipse, visible in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The next full moon in Belize is on July 21, 2024

The next full moon visible in Belize will be on July 21, 2024. This date falls on a Sunday, and the moon will be at its peak fullness at 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 GMT). However, the moon will appear full to casual observers on the night before and after this time. This particular full moon is known as the Buck Moon, as it occurs in the month when male deer's antlers begin to emerge.

Native American peoples, such as the Anishinaabe and the Cree, had different names for this moon. The former called it the Raspberry Moon, while the latter named it the Feather Molting Moon, as some birds start to moult in the summer. The Cherokee, further south, refer to it as the Ripe Corn Moon in their traditional calendar.

In addition to its cultural significance, the full moon of July 21, 2024, will be notable for those in Belize as it will be the closest to a perfectly full moon that they will experience all year. This is because, typically, the moon is only fully illuminated when the moon, Earth, and the sun are in perfect alignment, which only occurs once in a blue moon—either twice in a month or four times in a season.

For those in Belize who are interested in astronomy, mark your calendars for July 21, 2024, to witness this rare and beautiful Buck Moon!

The moon will appear full the night before and after July 21

The next full moon in Belize will be on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 6:17 a.m. EDT (10:17 GMT). However, the moon will appear full to the casual observer on the nights of July 20 and July 22 as well. This is because, although the full moon occurs at an exact moment, this moment may not be close to the time the moon rises in your location.

July's full moon is also known as the Buck Moon, as this is the month that male deer's antlers begin to emerge. Native American peoples have various names for this moon, including the Thunder Moon, the Raspberry Moon, the Feather Molting Moon, and the Ripe Corn Moon.

The full moon isn't always perfectly full. We always see the same side of the moon, but part of it is usually in shadow due to the moon's rotation. Only when the moon, Earth, and the sun are perfectly aligned is the moon 100% full.

The full moon in September is a supermoon

The supermoon in September will be the first of two in 2024, with the second set to occur in October. The supermoon will be visible in Belize on 17 September 2024, and a partial lunar eclipse will also be visible on the same night. This will be the second lunar eclipse of the year, the first having occurred in March.

The September full moon is also known as the "Harvest Moon", as it occurs at the end of the growing season. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are switched, the Harvest Moon takes place in March. The moon will still appear full the night before and after its peak, although a casual stargazer may not notice the difference.

The supermoon will be a spectacular sight, so be sure to mark your calendars for 17 September 2024, and keep an eye out for the partial lunar eclipse, too!

The moon is currently 404,516 km from Earth

The next full moon in Belize will be on the 18th of September, 2024. While I cannot provide information specific to this date, I can provide details on the average distance between the Moon and Earth.

When the Moon is at its furthest point from Earth, known as apogee, it is approximately 405,696 km (252,088 miles) away. This distance is almost 32 Earths. On the other hand, when the Moon is at perigee, or its closest approach to Earth, the distance between them is only 363,100 km (225,623 miles). This distance is between 28 and 29 Earths.

The Moon's distance from Earth affects the strength of ocean tides and the appearance of solar eclipses. When the Moon is at perigee, it appears slightly bigger and brighter than usual, and is sometimes referred to as a supermoon. Conversely, when the Moon is at apogee, it may appear slightly smaller, and this is known as a micromoon.

The moon will be 100% illuminated during a full moon

The next full moon in Belize will be on 18 September 2024. This will be a Supermoon.

During a full moon, the moon is 100% illuminated. This occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon are perfectly aligned. The moon's disk is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun. This is why full moons are so bright and appear so large.

However, it is rare for the moon to be 100% illuminated. Usually, the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point. Only when the three celestial bodies are in perfect alignment do we see a fully illuminated moon.

The full moon is one of the four phases of the moon. The others are the new moon, the first quarter moon, and the third quarter moon. A few days after the new moon, a thin sliver of the moon is illuminated. This is known as the waxing crescent. A week after the new moon, the moon is half-illuminated, and we call this the first quarter. A few days later, more than half of the moon's face appears illuminated, and this is the waxing gibbous moon.

The moon moves until more than half of its face appears illuminated, but the amount of light is decreasing. This is the waning gibbous phase. Days later, the moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun now shines on the other half of the visible face of the moon.

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