The name “buck moon” is in reference to male deer, or bucks, which start to rapidly grow their antlers this time of year. This year’s buck moon reached its peak illumination at 4:37 p.m. ET on Thursday, which is when it was fully visible and low on the horizon for stargazers in North America.

The Moon looked spectacular over parts of the south on Thursday night. This particular Moon was a Buck Moon, a type of supermoon - when the Moon is closest to the Earth, and full. Monthly full Moons have different names,

The Buck Moon will be visible in the sky at moonrise on July 10, 2025, marking the first full moon of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

July 2025's full Moon will loom low and large in UK skies tonight. Nicknamed the Buck Moon, this cosmic event will be one of the lowest-lying full Moon's of the year and the farthest from the Sun. The Buck Moon will sit so close to the horizon that it will appear much bigger than usual, in a phenomenon known as the 'Moon illusion'.

Skywatchers may have a harder time spotting July's full moon in Iowa. The evening of Wednesday, July 9, is expected to have 50-80% cloud cover across the state with some thunderstorms possible starting in western Iowa around 10 p.m. and moving across the state through the night, according to the National Weather Service.

Experts say July’s full moon could reduce sleep by up to 20 minutes on the evening of the 10th and as much as 90 minutes in the days leading up to and following it. Scientists in Switzerland previously found that, on the night of the full moon, people take on average five more minutes to fall asleep.