Overview
- July’s full Buck Moon will appear full on Wednesday evening, July 29, with best views at moonrise shortly after sunset for many locations.
- The Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids are forecast to peak overnight between July 30 and July 31, offering roughly 25 and five meteors per hour under ideal dark skies respectively.
- The Moon will be nearly full—about 98% illuminated—during the meteor peaks, so skyglow will hide faint streaks while the rarer bright fireballs from the Alpha Capricornids remain visible.
- Observers are advised to watch between midnight and dawn when Aquarius is highest, position the Moon behind or blocked by terrain or buildings, face the darkest part of the sky, and use the naked eye for the widest view.
- These July events lead into a clearer window for meteors and an eclipse in August, with the Perseids peaking around Aug. 12–13 near a new moon and a total solar eclipse crossing eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain.