Get your cameras at the ready, because the fourth and final supermoon of the year is set to make an appearance this week.
And for once, the weather looks like it might actually be on our side for it.
The typical gloomy Greater Manchester weather has predictably meant that we haven’t had the best view of the three previous supermoons that appeared in UK skies this year, but with the country currently in the midst of what is expected to be declared a heatwave – and with a heat-health warning having already been issued – it’s shaping up to be a different story for the ‘Sturgeon Moon’.
Astronomy lovers are also in for a real treat too, because the Sturgeon Moon is looking like it will be bigger, brighter, and closer to earth than all other full moons this year.
A special occurrence that only happens a few times a year, a supermoon happens when a full or new moon passes at its closest point to Earth, which makes it appear especially large and bright in the sky as they cast about 30% more light on the planet than when the moon is at its dimmest.
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“During a supermoon, the moon is at a stage where it is closest to Earth,” explained Sara Russell from the Natural History Museum.
“This will typically last for two to five full moons, so that’s why there are multiple supermoons in a row.
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The last supermoon of 2022 will be visible over Greater Manchester skies this week / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph)
“After that, the moon goes into the more distant part of its orbit.”
But where did the name ‘Sturgeon Moon’ come from? Well, according to Live Science, it’s believed to be connected to how many fish were caught under the moonlight.
“The sturgeon moon’s name comes to us from the Algonquin tribes of what is now eastern North America, as large sturgeon fish were more easily caught in the Great Lakes at this time of year,” the science platform explained.
The Sturgeon Moon is expected to be seen above Greater Manchester and UK skies this Friday, with the peak time for viewing with the naked eye at 1:36am GMT.
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
10th August 2022 
