Don’t Miss Thursday’s Spectacular Full ‘Buck Moon’ Rising

Are you ready for July’s full moon? One of the most hotly anticipated full moons of the year in the Northern Hemisphere — simply because more of us are out and about in July — the full buck moon will rise on Thursday, July 10.

It’s named for the time when new antlers begin to sprout from the heads of male deer (though also known as the hay moon for farming traditions and the thunder moon for summer storms). But it also bucks the trend in its way, being one of the lowest-hanging full moons of the year.

Where And When To Look

While it technically turns full at 4:38 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 10, the best time to observe it — as will all full moons — will be later that evening as it crests the horizon during dusk.

For most locations in North America and Europe, the moon will rise about 25 minutes after sunset, providing ideal viewing conditions. In New York, for example, sunset occurs at 8:29 p.m. EDT, with moonrise at 8:54 p.m. EDT. In Los Angeles, the moon appears at 8:33 p.m. PDT, following an 8:07 p.m. sunset. The exact times will differ depending on where you are (check Timeanddate.com for your exact local moonrise time), but either way, some patience is required — unless you have a low ocean horizon, you’ll need to wait a few minutes after the exact time of moonrise before you see it.

What You’ll See

The buck moon name is irrelevant to what this full moon will look like. It will be at its most striking as it appears, glowing a deep orange thanks to a phenomenon of atmospheric distortion called Rayleigh scattering. Orange light has longer wavelengths, so it more easily travels through the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere without scattering off particles.

As it rises, the buck moon will turn yellow, then a brighter white, but it remains at a relatively low position in the sky, tracing a path across the southern sky — always in the constellation of Sagittarius — before setting in the southwest at dawn. Its shallow arc is due to its proximity to the solstice on June 22. Since a full moon is always directly opposite the sun, it mimics the sun’s lowest wintertime path when the sun is at its highest summer position. The result is a full moon that never climbs very high, especially at mid-northern latitudes.

Observing Tips

For the best view of the full buck moon, find a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon, such as a hilltop, an open field or a coastline. Try to arrive a few minutes before the exact time of moonrise to witness the dramatic moment when the moon appears. Bring binoculars for a closer look, or enjoy the sight with just your eyes.

What’s Next In The Night Sky

The next full moon is the sturgeon moon on Saturday, August 9, though plenty is going on in the night sky before that. A couple of meteor showers — the Alpha Capricornids and the Delta Aquariids — will peak on July 29/30. The sturgeon moon will blot out all but the brightest shooting stars during the Perseid meteor shower’s peak night on Aug. 12-13, so it will be best seen in the last week or so of July.

For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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