--- description: The full moon will be visible throughout the weekend, from Friday night up until Monday morning. title: Why is July’s Full Moon Called a Buck Moon? image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcaaaeed17d38447a/698a58ffe6e84a27e62b32c6/Buck-Moon-July.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Space](/tag/space/) ## Space Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Why Is July’s Full Moon Called a Buck Moon? by [Chantelle Lee](/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 19, 2024 7:23 PM CUT  People take photos of the Buck Moon, which was a supermoon, as it rises over the ocean at Revere beach in Revere, Massachusetts, on July 13, 2022. People take photos of the Buck Moon, which was a supermoon, as it rises over the ocean at Revere beach in Revere, Massachusetts, on July 13, 2022.Joseph Prezioso—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 19, 2024 7:23 PM CUT Make sure to go outside this weekend so you can see July’s full moon! Known as the Buck Moon, the full moon will reach peak illumination in the U.S. at 6:17 a.m. ET Sunday, July 21\. The full moon will still be visible throughout the weekend, from Friday night up until Monday morning. The term “Buck Moon” is a reference to male deer, which are also called bucks. In late spring, male deer start to grow new antlers, and these new antlers, coated in velvety fur, can be fully visible by July, according to the [Farmers’ Almanac](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/julys-full-buck-moon "undefined"). The name “Buck Moon” comes from Algonquin tribes that lived in what is now the northeastern U.S., according to the [National Aeronautics and Space Administration](https://science.nasa.gov/uncategorized/the-next-full-moon-is-the-buck-or-thunder-moon/ "undefined") (NASA). July’s full moon has other names too. Some Indigenous groups have dubbed it the [Salmon Moon](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/julys-full-buck-moon "undefined") because its timing aligns with salmon runs, which is when the fish migrate up rivers each year. Others have called it the [Thunder Moon](https://science.nasa.gov/uncategorized/the-next-full-moon-is-the-buck-or-thunder-moon/ "undefined") because of the early summer’s frequent thunderstorms. Europeans refer to the full moon as the [Hay Moon](https://science.nasa.gov/uncategorized/the-next-full-moon-is-the-buck-or-thunder-moon/ "undefined") because early summer is typically when haymaking takes place. This year’s Buck Moon coincides with a significant space moment: The 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. As Armstrong climbed down the ladder to take the first human steps on the moon, [he famously said](https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2003/summer/20-july-1969.html "undefined"): “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for all mankind.” More than half a billion people [watched](https://www.nasa.gov/history/july-20-1969-one-giant-leap-for-mankind/ "undefined") the historic moment on television. The [next full moon](https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html "undefined") after this weekend will occur on Aug. 19\. Known as the Sturgeon Moon, it will also be visible for about three days, from the morning of Aug. 18 through the morning of Aug. 21, according to NASA. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7000625/buck-moon-july/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7000625/buck-moon-july/"},"headline":"Why Is July’s Full Moon Called a Buck Moon?","datePublished":"2024-07-19T19:23:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T17:59:10.843Z","description":"The full moon will be visible throughout the weekend, from Friday night up until Monday morning.","url":"https://time.com/7000625/buck-moon-july/","keywords":["Space","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcaaaeed17d38447a/698a58ffe6e84a27e62b32c6/Buck-Moon-July.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chantelle Lee","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcaaaeed17d38447a/698a58ffe6e84a27e62b32c6/Buck-Moon-July.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Super Moon in Massachusetts","caption":"Super Moon in Massachusetts","creditText":"Joseph Prezioso—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/space/","name":"Space"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7000625/buck-moon-july/","name":"Why Is July’s Full Moon Called a Buck Moon?"}}]}] ```