'Biggest and brightest' supermoon of 2022 to light up Irish skies 

July’s full moon is known as the Buck Moon because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA

A supermoon is set to appear in Irish skies tonight, bigger and brighter than any other day in 2022.

July’s full moon is also known as the Buck Moon because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year.

We've spent today looking across the universe, so let's wrap it up with something a little closer to home.

Keep an eye on the skies for the Buck Supermoon, our next full Moon, on July 13: https://t.co/H9EI3XIZOu pic.twitter.com/RMAqLw7Qxv

— NASA (@NASA) July 12, 2022

The Buck Moon will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year as it represents the moon arriving at its closest point to the Earth, and will appear about 30% brighter than a micro full moon and about 16% brighter than an average full moon. 

Sunset in Cork on Wednesday will be at 9.48pm, with the moon peaking roughly 30 minutes after at 10.24pm, with the illumination at 98.9%.

The recent Strawberry Moon took place last month and remained clear to see for a few nights afterwards.

The Royal Astronomical Society’s deputy executive director Dr Robert Massey “there is a lot of these” supermoons, but added: “The moon is a beautiful object – it is a fantastic thing, go out and look at it and enjoy the view.”

Dr Massey also advised the best place to catch a glimpse of the moon would be to view it "looking out over a very flat landscape or the sea.”