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The Buck Moon, July's full moon, is set to dazzle stargazers across the world tonight, offering a breathtaking display thanks to a rare combination of orbital events. 

The full moon will reach peak illumination at 4:36 p.m. EDT (2036 GMT) on July 10 but will become visible as it rises above the southeastern horizon after sunset, around 8:53 p.m. local time in New York. Keep in mind that the exact time will vary by location.

“The nice thing about the full moon is it looks full for about a day on either side of it,” said Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory. “So, if you miss it on the 10th, the night of the 11th it will also look fairly full.”

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What Makes the 2025 Buck Moon Unique?

This year’s Buck Moon is no ordinary lunar event. Not only does it fall close to the summer solstice, which gives the sun its highest path in the sky, but it also coincides with a “Major Lunar Standstill.”

This rare phenomenon, caused by the gravitational pull of the sun, increases the moon’s orbital tilt, leading to a very low trajectory across the southern horizon.

To add to its rarity, the Buck Moon occurs near Earth’s aphelion—the point when the planet is farthest from the sun. This makes the moon farthest from the sun it will be in all of 2025, though this won’t be visible to the naked eye.

Read more from Space.com and Forbes.

Why It's Called the “Buck Moon”

Traditionally, July’s full moon is known as the Buck Moon because it's the time of year when male deer (bucks) begin growing new antlers.

In Europe, it's also called the “Hay Moon” as it appears during the summer hay harvest. Some Native American tribes also refer to it as the “Thunder Moon” due to seasonal summer storms.

The Buck Moon typically takes on a golden or reddish hue shortly after rising, a result of Rayleigh scattering—the same effect that creates red sunsets.

What to Observe During the Full Moon

Although the full moon washes out shadows and makes some surface detail harder to see, it’s the perfect time to admire:

• The lunar maria (dark plains formed by ancient lava flows) 
• The Tycho Crater, with its bright rays radiating across the southern region 
• The Apollo mission landing sites, especially timely as July 2025 marks the 56th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic lunar landing 

Using a telescope, especially a 6-inch scope, will reveal more detail, but even the naked eye can pick out large features and admire the moon’s grandeur.

Look Up and Enjoy the Show

If you miss it on July 10, don’t worry—the moon will appear nearly full-on July 9 and 11 as well. Be sure to check timeanddate.com or in-the-sky.org for accurate moonrise times in your location.