The July 2025 full 'Buck Moon' will give stargazers an opportunity to appreciate several distinct quirks of orbital mechanics at work! For starters, it falls close to the summer solstice, a time of the year when the sun rides particularly high in the sky, while the moon tracks a low path over the southern horizon.

The full buck moon will reach its peak illumination on Thursday, July 10. It’s just one of this month’s celestial highlights.

July’s full moon — the first of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere — will reach peak illumination at 4:38 p.m. EST on Thursday, with best viewing during predawn and after dark.