The Buck Moon – Can It Be Spectacular?

Well the full moons this year have all been quite spectacular – a super pink moon in April, followed by a total lunar eclipse in May and then a Strawberry supermoon in June.

What can follow that?

There have been a few supermoons this year but the next one now will not be until 14 June 2022.

You possibly might have spotted the July full moon last night, but not to worry if you didn’t as you should be able to see if for a couple more nights this weekend.

The full moon for July rises this weekend and may appear a reddish orange in colour because of the wildfires in the US.

The July full moon gets its name of Buck Moon because the new antlers start to grow on the buck's forehead around this time of year. Bucks are male deer that shed their antlers and grow new ones every year.

Another name for the July full moon is Thunder Moon because there are frequent thunderstorms in the summer.

Hay Moon and Wort Moon are the Anglo-Saxon names for the July full moon. These names are used because the hay harvest takes place in July and Worts is another name for herbs which are gathered and dried at this time of year.



There are a total of 12 full moon phases during the annual lunar cycle plus the occasional Blue Moon and each full moon has a unique name tied to the changing seasons, behaviour of the plants, animals, or weather during that month and reflects the landscape around us.

The best time to see the full moon in the UK will be in the evening after sunset as that is when the moon is closest to the earth.