🌕 Eyes to the Skies for July's Full Moon – The "Buck" Moon! 🦌💖🌕🔭✨ – 29/07/2026
Tonight, on the evening of the 29th into the morning of the 30th (weather permitting) we will hopefully be treated to views of July's beautiful full moon which is known to some as the "Buck" Moon.
Although the full Moon may not always be the astrophotographer's best of friends, the full Moon always makes for a beautiful sight in the night sky and is an important marker of the seasons for many people.
If you would like to know more about this month's full moon, plus when and where to see the Buck Moon, please read on…
🌕 What Is a Full Moon?
A full Moon occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun – an alignment also known as a Syzygy (a straight line arrangement of three or more celestial bodies). When this happens, the side of the Moon that can be seen from Earth is completely illuminated, giving it the appearance of being full.
On rare occasions the Earth can stand directly in between the Sun and Moon resulting in a lunar eclipse.
🌝 Full Moon Names
The full moon of each month has been given names by many cultures and peoples throughout history. The most commonly known full moon names are derived from Native American tribes. The Native American tribes gave distinctions to moons based on the time of year and the weather's relationships to crop harvests and appearance of certain animals or animal behaviours.
🦌 The "Buck" Moon
The Native American Algonquin tribes named July's full moon the "Buck Moon". This is because it is at this time of year when the new antlers of male deer – bucks - are in their full growth stage.
🌍 Other Alternative July Full Moon Names
Other names for the full moon of July include: The "thunder moon," because of the frequency of thunderstorms that hit during this hot summer month. It has also been called the "hay moon," "Ripe corn moon," and the "Middle of summer moon."
📍 When and Where Will the Full Moon Occur?
This month, the Moon reaches syzygy with the Earth and Sun at around 15:10 BST during the daytime on the 29th of July.
This means that the night the Moon will appear most full will be the night of the 29th into the morning of the 30th of July.
The Moon will rise in the evening of the 29th at around 21:21 BST towards the South-East. As the night progresses the Moon will climb in the sky travelling towards the South where the Moon will reach its highest point in the sky at an altitude of 15 degrees at roughly 01:29 BST on the morning of the 30th. Following this, the Moon will begin to descend travelling towards the South-West where it will set in the morning skies at around 05:48 BST.
Remember that you don't really need to know the exact time of peak illumination to enjoy viewing the full Moon, as the Moon will appear full throughout the night and on the nights surrounding the peak.
⭐ Where Among the Stars Can the Moon Be Found?
On the night of the 29th our natural satellite will be hitching a ride in the zodiacal constellation of Capricornus.
More specifically, the Moon can be found roughly halfway in between the bright stars Dabih and Deneb Algedi.
The zodiacal constellation of Capricornus can be found in between the constellations of Sagittarius and Aquarius and also below the constellation of Aquila the eagle.
👁️ Lunar Observation
The great thing about observing the Moon is that you don't have to go and find a particularly dark location to view it. As the Moon is such a bright object in the sky, you can view it from brighter locations, even from the centre of a heavily light polluted city. Weather permitting of course.
🌅 Moon Rise/Set – Moon Illusion
It's always lovely to watch the moon rise/set, so if you can head out to witness the Moon rise or set, please do. Every time the Moon rises and sets it takes on a beautiful golden, amber colour and appears larger at this time too, due to an optical illusion known as the 'Moon illusion'. It's truly special to witness. As it rises and glides higher, its colour will transition into a bright white.
Sometimes the Moon can appear even more orangey red than usual too! The hue of the moon typically depends on atmospheric conditions wherever you're viewing it from. Things like clouds, dust, haze, smoke or pollution can cause the moon to appear different colours by scattering much of the blue light shining onto our natural satellite, leaving it with a more reddish tone.
🌌 What Else Is in the Night Sky Throughout July?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen in the skies throughout July, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for July 2026 or you can watch the video on our website using the link below.
https://astro-dog.co.uk/blogs/astro-dog-night-sky-guide-videos/july-2026-night-sky-guide
📸 Share Your Experiences and Photographs!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you head out to witness or capture photos of this special celestial event or any other sights in the night sky, please feel free to share your stories and photos in the comments below. 😊
💫 Good Luck and Clear Skies
This month's full Moon will be a beautiful sight, and if you can, we recommend heading out to witness this July's Buck Moon!
Good luck if you head out folks. Wrap up warm if you do. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clear skies 💖
