With blue-white Spica to the Northwest, the waxing gibbous moon on the night of July3, 2025. Image courtesy, the author (300 mm FL/ F4)
The storm broke, the clouds began to part
The Hour was late, Spica was o’er the balmy moon,
…………………this sight,
………………………warm and inviting on this summer’s night
…………………
The binoculars were in hand and the small telescope nigh
T’was unmistakable from afar, the star, blue and white,
…………………the moon also, so it seemed, closer at hand
Last night, after what seemed like an interminable period of time, with weeks of unseasonably hot and humid weather and following a series of severe thunderstorms late in the day, the sky finally cleared. We had our first clear night in almost 2 weeks.
Lost in the glare of the moon with the unaided eye and without knowing where the star was at first, I took a casual gaze at the moon, not having seen it in almost a month. The moon was sharp and crisp in the binoculars, then, as I panned slightly to the right, there was the unmistakable blue-white sparkle of Spica. Knowledge of the star’s distance and how close the moon is created in my mind a 3-dimensional aspect to the scene.
July’s Full Buck Moon
The full moon for this month occurs on Thursday, July 10th. According to lore, July’s full moon is also known as the “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. This is especially relevant for hunter-gatherer or agrarian communities who depended on a plentiful harvest or hunt to survive. 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 male deer (bucks) are in full-growth 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.
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.
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A quick, interactive web-based version of Stellarium is available here Tonight's Sky. When you launch the application, it defaults to north-facing and your location (on mobile and desktop).
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