Particle.news
Download on the App Store
17 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Buck Moon Peaks July 29 and Lights Local Moonrise Views

The full phase occurred in daylight but the best public views came at moonrise and it signals the start of several major sky events through August.

The July full moon, known as the buck moon, will appear nearly full for several nights.
Image
Image
Young deer stags are silhouetted against the moon, approaching its full Buck Moon phase on July 29, as it rises above Richmond Park in London, Britain, July 27, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Overview

  • The Buck Moon reached peak illumination on Wednesday, July 29 at about 10:36–10:37 a.m. Eastern time, though observers saw it appear full at local moonrise that evening.
  • Skywatchers were advised to view the moon shortly after sunset near a low, dark horizon where the rising lunar disk looks largest and shows an orange tint.
  • Rayleigh scattering explains the orange appearance at the horizon and Canadian wildfire smoke further intensified orange hues in parts of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.
  • The full moon rose near Saturn, Mars and Mercury in a compact summer lineup and its bright face reduces visibility of faint meteors from showers active now.
  • The Buck Moon precedes an Aug. 12 total solar eclipse and an Aug. 27–28 deep partial lunar eclipse, and it coincided this year on the calendar with India’s Guru Purnima.