Though we all have differences, there’s one commonality that has prevailed for all of humanity: we are all floating on a rock, flying through outer space at over a million miles an hour.
Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology in the past century, we can observe much more of the universe than we ever thought possible.
The scale and sheer size of the universe make it impossible to truly learn everything, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Here's what's happening in space this week.
Fireworks aren't the only spectacle lighting up the skies this week. The first supermoon of the year rose last night, and was captured by skywatchers across the globe.
July's full Moon, known as the Buck Moon, rose just after sunset on the eve of Independence Day. The term 'supermoon' was coined by astronomer Richard Nolle in the '70s.
A supermoon occurs when a new, or in this case, a full Moon, happens while the Moon is within 90% of perigee, or its closest approach to Earth.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the full Buck Moon was just 224,896 miles from Earth at its nearest point. That's 14,000 miles closer to us than a typical full Moon.
The namesake of July's full Moon comes from The Maine Farmers' Almanac, which began assigning names to full Moons in the 1930s.
This time of year is typically when you might see a deer shed their old antlers and begin growing a new set, hence the name 'Buck Moon.'
It is also sometimes referred to as the 'Thunder Moon' due to the frequency of thunderstorms in early Summer months.
Take a look below for a glimpse of the Buck Moon from the perspective of people around the world.
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