July's full moon
Buck Moon 2027
The Buck Moon is July's full moon. In 2027 it is full on Sunday, 18 July 2027, 15:45 UTC. It is named for the new antlers that push out of a buck's forehead in July.
Buck Moon meaning
In July the bucks' antlers, shed in winter, are in full growth, pushing out of their foreheads under a coat of velvet. The full moon was named for them. It is also the Thunder Moon, for the storms of high summer.
Also called: Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, Mead Moon. The names come from the seasonal calendars of Native American, Colonial American and European tradition, as collected in the Old Farmer's Almanac; each one marks what was happening on the land in that month.
When is the Buck Moon?
- 2026Wednesday, 29 July 2026, 14:36 UTCEvery phase in July 2026
- 2027Sunday, 18 July 2027, 15:45 UTCEvery phase in July 2027
- 2028Thursday, 6 July 2028, 18:11 UTCEvery phase in July 2028
- 2029Wednesday, 25 July 2029, 13:36 UTCEvery phase in July 2029
Times are UTC; your local time is shown in the opening line. A full moon is an instant, but the Moon looks full to the eye the night before and the night after as well.
Best time to see the Buck Moon
Go out at moonrise on the evening of Sun 18 Jul: look east just after sunset, when the Moon sits on the horizon, looks largest, and takes on its warmest colour. Summer haze and heat make the Buck Moon look large and orange as it rises; it clears to white as it climbs.
Tonight's moonrise time for your location is on the live moon page.