Buck Moon rises: July’s full moon to light up the night sky

All eyes will turn to the skies tonight (Thursday) when the July full moon will shine in all its glory.

This month’s full moon is called the Buck Moon and can best be seen from South Africa at around 10.36pm.

ALSO READ: Winter solstice and ‘strawberry moon’

According to Astronomy.com, a full moon arises when the earth is precisely sandwiched between the sun and the moon.

“This alignment ensures the entire side of the moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the moon’s orbit around earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back to our planet changes. That creates different lunar phases,” noted the online publication.

Why Buck Moon?

July’s full moon is historically called a Buck Moon because it aligns with the time of year where the antlers of male deer – or bucks – are quickly growing.

This is according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac and refers to summer time in the northern hemisphere.

Full moon dates for remainder of 2025

Thursday, 10 July — Buck Moon
Saturday, 9 August — Sturgeon Moon
Sunday, 7 September — Corn Moon
Monday, 6 October — Hunter’s Moon
Wednesday, 5 November — Beaver Moon
Thursday, 4 December — Cold Moon

Source: astronomy.com

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