Full Buck Moon, 2024

July 2024 Full Buck moon passing the meridian at 04:48, UTC (00:48 EDT) on July 21. Note: the “Tea Pot” of Sagittarius directly to the west of the moon. Image via Stellarium.

The full moon for this month occurs on Sunday, July 21. According to lore, July’s full moon is also known as a “Full Buck Moon”. We’ve written extensively about the lore behind the moon’s names, most of which honor native traditions or coincide with seasonal events. For example, last month’s full moon (June) was the Strawberry moon since June’s full moon coincides with the strawberry harvest.

July’s moon is named as it is, since the antlers of bucks (male deer) are in full-growth mode during July. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years progress.

Additional information on the lore of the moon and its names can be found here and here. It also should be noted that each full Moon name is applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon.

This year’s Full Buck (Full) Moon occurs on Sunday, July 21, reaching peak illumination at 6:17 AM, EDT.

For moon fans, the month begins and ends with a New Moon. The Full Moon occurs precisely between each new moon on the 16th day of the lunar cycle. For additional details, a full lunar calendar and the lore behind each month’s Full Moon, please visit The Full Moon Page at Time and Date.

Featured Image

The full moon imaged by the author with his 15 cm F/4.2 astrograph.