July Full Moon 2024: Buck Moon
See the Full Buck Moon in July! It will take place on Sunday, July 21. The Full Moon will be in the constellation Capricornus. Get the Sky Tonight app to easily navigate the night sky, identify the constellation of the Full Moon and nearby celestial objects. Keep reading and learn the best way to observe the Full Buck Moon and why it has such an unusual name.
Contents
- When is the July Full Moon 2024?
- How to observe the July Full Moon 2024?
- What is the July Full Moon called?
- When is the next Full Moon 2024?
- Full Moon in July 2024: Conclusion
When is the July Full Moon 2024?
On July 21, at 10:17 GMT (6:17 a.m. EDT), the Moon will reach its full phase. However, the exact timing isn't crucial for observers because, to the naked eye, the Moon will appear full the day before and after this moment too, with over 98% of the lunar disk illuminated. That’s why we talk about the Full Moon as an event that lasts all night, rather than a moment.
Like any other Full Moon, the July Full Moon will rise along the eastern horizon at sunset and set in the west just before dawn. In the Northern Hemisphere, where nights are shorter this time of year, the Moon will remain quite low in the sky, even at midnight. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the Moon will reach a high position in the sky. You can learn more about this phenomenon from our article on the June Full Moon.
What constellation is the July Full Moon in?
The Full Moon in July 2024 will be in the constellation Capricornus, which belongs to the zodiac family.
The July Full Moon can appear in either of two zodiac constellations: Capricornus or more frequently, Sagittarius. If you want to check which constellation the Moon is in, the Sky Tonight app can help. It displays a real-time sky map that matches your location.
Moon phases in July 2024
- 🌑New Moon: July 5, 22:57 GMT (6:57 p.m. EDT);
- 🌓First Quarter: July 13, 22:49 GMT (6:49 p.m. EDT);
- 🌕Full Moon: July 21, 10:17 GMT (6:17 a.m. EDT);
- 🌗Last Quarter: July 28, 02:52 GMT (July 27, 10:52 p.m. EDT).
To find out exactly when the Moon will be above the horizon at your location, check the Moon tab in the calendar feature of Sky Tonight, or visit the Moon phases section on our website. There, you will find the lunar phases for each day, with moonrise and moonset times for where you live and additional information.
How to observe the July Full Moon 2024?
The Full Moon will be seen all night long if the weather is good and no obstacles hinder your view. You can easily observe it with the naked eye or take a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to explore its craters. If you decide to use optics, better take filters because the Moon will be pretty bright – it won’t harm your eyes, but the shadows on the lunar surface will get fainter. Also, use the app Sky Tonight to find out the exact time and properties of the Full Moon for your location. If you want to take a stunning photo of this month’s Full Moon, the app Ephemeris will help you set up the composition by showing you how the lunar disk will look in a chosen location.
In the Northern Hemisphere, look up at the sky around midnight in July, and you'll see a giant star pattern called the Summer Triangle — it will shine above the Full Moon. This group of stars is easy to spot and shines brightly above us in the summer, even though you can actually see it any time of the year. Want to know more about these stars? Check out our article about the Summer Triangle! And if you're not sure you're looking at the right stars, the Sky Tonight app can help you confirm it.
Will the July Full Moon 2024 look orange?
The July Full Moon will be closer to the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere, so it won’t only look bigger (due to the effect called the Moon illusion) but also may change color. When the Moon is low, its light passes through more air, so it can look orange, pink, or red – the same effect causes our beautiful sunsets. Enjoy the view at the moonrise or moonset to see the intense color.
What is the July Full Moon called?
In different cultures, Full Moons often receive names that reflect the peculiarities of a particular season. For example, the July Full Moon is sometimes called the Halfway Summer Moon because it rises in the middle of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Its other common name is Thunder Moon because of the frequent thunderstorms in July.
For instance, American Indians in Alaska refer to it as the “Salmon Moon”, since July is the month when salmon start to run (move upstream).
North American Indian tribe, the Mohawk, call it the "Time Of Much Ripening," a nod to the abundant ripening across the United States during this period. The Shawnee from the Midwest name it the Blackberry Moon, while the Lakota refer to this Full Moon as “When The Chokecherries Are Black.”
Full Buck Moon meaning
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the popular Native American name for the July Full Moon is the Buck Moon. The young male deer (bucks) are sprouting new antlers this time of the year. By the end of July, most bucks’ antlers are fully formed, and the hardening process begins.
July Full Moon alternative names
Here are some other July Full Moon names coined by different cultures:
- Chinese: Hungry Ghost Moon;
- Celtic: Moon of Claiming;
- Wiccan: Mead Moon;
- Cherokee: Ripe Corn Moon;
- Southern Hemisphere: Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Ice Moon.
When is the next Buck Moon?
The Buck Moon is the traditional name for the Full Moon in July. In 2024, the Buck Moon is on July 21, at 10:17 GMT (6:17 a.m. EDT). The Buck Moon after it will occur on July 10, 2025.
When is the next Full Moon 2024?
The next Full Moon is on August 19, 2024, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). It will be the first Supermoon of the year and a seasonal Blue Moon. Find the whole list of the Full Moons in 2024 with their traditional names in our infographic.
Full Moon in July 2024: Conclusion
The Full Moon will occur on July 21, at 10:17 GMT (6:17 a.m. EDT). Native Americans call it the Buck Moon, because, in July, the young male deer (bucks) are sprouting new antlers. The July Full Moon will be unusually low above the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere sky and higher than usual in the Southern Hemisphere. To learn when the next Full Moon is and what traditional name it has, check our Full Moon calendar 2024.
