Overview
- The Buck Moon reached peak illumination on Wednesday, July 29, and was best seen at local moonrise shortly after sunset across many regions.
- Observers were told to look to the eastern or southeastern horizon at dusk for the most dramatic view because the moon often looks largest and orange near the horizon.
- The warm orange color came from normal Rayleigh scattering in Earth’s atmosphere and from localized particulate tinting where wildfire smoke was present in parts of North America.
- Australian reports noted the July full moon occurred near apogee for some observers, making it a slightly smaller “micro moon” than average.
- The Buck Moon’s name comes from Indigenous seasonal naming preserved by the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and the event acted as a public lead-in to the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse and the late‑August deep partial lunar eclipse.