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 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.

July's full moon is nearly here. This full moon rises in the earth sign of Capricorn, the ambitious and grounded sea goat of the zodiac. Nicknamed the Buck Moon because it coincides with the time of year that deer grow antlers in North America, this lunation represents a moment of change and transcendence. Like the buck, we are growing.