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.

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 moon will reach its peak at 4:37 p.m. EDT on July 10. During moonrise the lunar disk appears larger than it is as it is positioned close to the horizon. It tricks our brains into giving the illusion that it's larger than it is when viewed. It will be most visible after sunset at 8:53 p.m. EDT.