A Druid Moon is a rare astronomical phenomenon during which the Moon appears as three identical moons floating together in the sky. This is caused by the Moon passing very close to the Earth and the extra moons are reflections, projected off the Earth’s atmosphere. The Moon only comes close enough for the illusion to occur once every seventy years and then the weather and atmospheric conditions must be right.

The picture shown here is a modern photograph of the Druid Moon over Chobham, in January 2011.  The unusual sight was well documented in the national press and even remarked upon by the Astronomer Royal in her annual lecture to The Royal Society.

Partial Druid Moons are visible at other times, but visibility is highly dependent on atmospherics and weather conditions as well as the viewer’s location. Late summer is usually the time when a partial Druid Moon might be visible across southern England. The partial Druid Moon can vary from showing only a very slight reflection of a ‘second moon’ to a near-perfect ‘three moon’ reflection. Sometimes the phenomenon is obscured by a particularly bright instance of the Perseids meteor shower, which often coincides – around mid to late August.

The next full Druid Moon is possible in 2081.