On Tuesday, the third supermoon of 2022 will shine in the night sky. Due to the fact that it falls in July, it is also called a buck moon. This name does not refer to the moon's appearance - you won't see a buck's shape on its surface. Rather, it refers to something that occurs in nature.

The Old Farmer's Almanac observes that 'the full Moon in July is known as the Buck Moon as it corresponds to the time of year when male deer (bucks) are in full growth mode.' In general, buck antlers grow and shed every year, resulting in a larger and more impressive set as time passes.

There is something else about this buck moon that makes it a supermoon. According to NASA, supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the Moon's closest approach to Earth during its elliptical orbit, known as perigee.

'On each 27-day cycle, the Moon reaches both its perigee, roughly 226,000 miles (463,300 km) from Earth, and its apogee, roughly 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth.'

When a full moon approaches 90 percent of its perigee, this phenomenon is known as a supermoon.

Supermoons generally appear 17% bigger and 30% brighter than when they are at their furthest distance from Earth.

The supermoon is also slightly larger and brighter than most full moons. It may be easier for you to see it using binoculars since it's bigger and brighter, but you won't necessarily be able to see it unaided.

NASA has provided some handy photography tips to assist you in capturing this event. Moonrise and moonset are the best times to view the buck moon. 

If the weather is cloudy where you are on Tuesday, do not worry too much about it. It is predicted that the moon will remain full for approximately three days, until early Friday morning, so there is still time to view it.

Moreover, the supermoon is not the last of the year. This year's set of four supermoons will conclude with the sturgeon moon on Aug. 11.