The Sky Will Be Extra Bright This Year On The 4th In Western New York

Lots of people look forward to seeing the sky lit up with fireworks on the 4th of July.  But this year, it will be bright for more than one reason.

It's an iconic night that marks not only our country's independence from England, but also the fact that we are really into summer.  You celebrate with your family with a picnic throughout the day, then fireworks at night.  It's just what you do.

This year though there will be something extra happening in the sky to take a little attention from the fireworks. We will also have our first Supermoon of the Year.

What is a Supermoon?

Supermoons are the product of two different things coming together at the same time.  The first is that the earth and the moon are closest together in their orbit.  The second is that there is a full moon.  They both have to coincide to create what is called a Supermoon.

What is different about a Supermoon?

Because the moon will be full, it will often be brighter than what we normally see through the rest of the moon's cycle.  But because it's also closer in its orbit than normal, it will also seem bigger.

So as long as there aren't a lot of clouds, you should see a bigger and brighter moon than normal.

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When can we see the Supermoon?

This year's first Supermoon is set to happen on July 3rd.  While that is the official date, you will begin to see it appear to be bigger and brighter on the two days before and the two days after the offical date.  So you should get a good view from July 1st through the 5th.