July’s Full Moon | The Buck Moon

The month of July’s Full Moon is called the Buck Moon. The Full Buck Moon got its name because July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It is also often called the “Thunder Moon”, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time of year. Some of the other lesser-known names are the “Blessing Moon”, “Meadow Moon”, and the “Wort Moon” (wort is an ancient word defining herbaceous plants or herbs, which are at their peak in July and ready for gathering). And yet another name for this month’s Moon is the “Full Hay Moon” (Anglo-Saxon) because the farmers struggle to put hay into their barns as the storms come across the plains.

For us across the United States, the moon turns astronomically full – or stands most directly opposite the sun – at different times in July. In 2019 it was special because it happened on July 16th – 50 years to the day of NASA’s Apollo 11 moon mission launch! Learn more about the Thunder Moon on that day (and the fact that is was also the last lunar eclipse of the year) at space.com. They explain a lot about lunar eclipses and also have a cool video to watch!.

Check out this link for a more in-depth visual of the different Moon Phases.

To make sure you don’t miss the next full Moon, see our Full Moon Dates and Times chart.