While full moons occur every month, those in the summer are special given the position of the sun — and they tend to have historical names that capture their significance.
Since full moons appear opposite the sun in the sky, and the sun is high during the summer, these moons appear lower, making them seem bigger. Some particular full moons get their names from animal behaviors that occur during the month, and also some unique names that are derived from Native American sources, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The Buck Moon, named for the antlers on male deer, which are typically in full growth this time of year, will reach full illumination around 4:37 p.m. on July 10. While it won't really be visible then, you'll be able to watch it rise from the southeast throughout the evening. This moon is also often referred to as the "Thunder Moon" due to the stormy weather that's a hallmark of the summer season.
This moon will appear even closer than the one in August (more on that below) because it will occur less than a week after the Earth reaches it's aphelion, the point where it's the furthest from the Sun.
Adding to its size will be an event that occurs every 18.6 years: the major lunar standstill. This is when the sun's gravity drags the moon into an extreme inclination relative to Earth's celestial equator. After sunset, the Full Buck Moon should look especially low in the sky due to this phenomenon.
According to space.com, the moon will take on a golden or reddish hue, which is due to Rayleigh scattering — the same thing that causes the warm, golden effects during sunrises and sunsets.
The Old Farmer's Almanac also reports alternative names for the full moon in July: Feather Moulting Moon (Cree), Salmon Moon (Tlingit), Berry Moon (Anishinaabe), Moon When the Chokecherries are Ripe (Dakota), Month of the Ripe Corn Moon (Cherokee), Raspberry Moon (Algonquin and Ojibwe), Thunder Moon (Western Abenaki), and Halfway Summer Moon (Anishinaabe).
The Full Buck Moon isn't the only special full moon gracing our skies this summer. On August 9, the Sturgeon Moon, named for the fish that were once much more easily caught during this time of year, will reach peak illumination around 3:55 a.m.
Alternative names for this full moon, according to the farmer's almanac, include Flying Up Moon (Cree) for when young birds are ready to learn to fly, Harvest Moon (Dakota), Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine) for when the chokecherries become ripe, and Mountain Shadows Moon (Tlingit).
You can learn more about that moon in the Old Farmer's Almanac here.
