The Old Farmer's Almanac, which began publishing full moon names in the 1930s, says some Native American tribes called July's full moon the "buck moon" because it occurs in early summer, when male deer (bucks) typically begin growing new antlers covered in velvety fur.

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.

July's "Buck Moon" has already peaked this week, but for a few more days, folks can look up to see the nearly full moon in the sky. July's full moon, known as Buck Moon, peaked on the evening of Thursday,