Behold the Full Buck Supermoon!
July’s full Buck Moon is coming up— rising after sunset on Wednesday, July 13. This will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year! Find out when to look for this month’s Moon and also why we call it the Buck Moon.
When to See the Full Moon in July 2022
July’s full Buck Moon will rise on Wednesday, July 13, reaching peak illumination at 2:38 P.M. Eastern Time. It will be below the horizon at that time, so plan to look towards the southeast after sunset to watch it rise into the sky.
→ Consult our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator to see precisely when the Buck Moon will be visible in your area!
Behold the Full Buck Supermoon!
July’s full Buck Moon orbits closer to Earth than any other full Moon this year, making it the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2022! At its nearest point, the Buck Moon will be 222,089.3 miles (357,418 km) from Earth so it just edges out June’s Strawberry Moon by 200km.
While a supermoon is technically bigger and brighter than a regular full Moon, it only appears about 7% larger—which can be an imperceptible difference to the human eye, depending on other conditions. Nonetheless, it’s fun to know that the full Moon you’re looking at is the closest, biggest, and brightest of the year.
The July 2022 supermoon also appears slightly farther south, so lower in the sky than a month before; when a Moon is lower in the sky or nearer the horizon, it can also appear bigger.
→ Want to really see a huge full Moon? Read about the “Moon illusion” to discover how and when to look for one!
Why Is It Called the Buck Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon.
The Buck Moon
The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by.
Alternative July Moon Names
Several other names for this month’s Moon also reference animals, including Feather Moulting Moon (Cree) and Salmon Moon, a Tlingit term indicating when fish returned to the area and were ready to be harvested.
Plants are also featured prominently in July’s Moon names. Some of our favorites are Berry Moon (Anishinaabe), Moon When the Chokecherries are Ripe (Dakota), Month of the Ripe Corn Moon (Cherokee), and Raspberry Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe).
Thunder Moon (Western Abenaki) and Halfway Summer Moon (Anishinaabe) are alternative variants that refer to the stormy weather and summer season.
→ See all 12 months of full Moon names and meanings.
Moon Phases for July 2022
Note that the Moon phase dates/times below are in EDT.
→ See our Moon Phase Calendar to customize dates and times to your location.
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First Quarter: July 6, 10:14 P.M. EDT |
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Full Moon: July 13, 2:38 P.M. EDT |
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Last Quarter: July 20, 10:19 A.M. EDT |
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New Moon: July 28, 1:55 P.M. EDT |
→ For the next full Moon, see our Full Moon Dates chart.
July’s Full Buck Moon Video
In this video, we explain the traditional names of the Full Moon along with some fascinating Moon facts. Learn about the Full Buck Moon, why July is such an important month in Moon history, and how scientists measure the distance from Earth to the Moon. Click below to watch the video.
Best Days in July 2022
Below are the best days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in July.
| Activity | Best Days |
| Cutting Hay | 18-20 |
| Setting Eggs | 14, 15 |
| Fishing | 1-13, 28–31 |
→ See Best Days for more activities.
Moon Facts
- On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the Moon. He also placed the U.S. flag there.
- On July 31, 1999, the ashes of astrogeologist Eugene Shoemaker were deposited on the Moon.
We leave you with a poem by James N. Matthews (1852–1910):
A moon-flooded prairie; a straying
Of leal-hearted lovers; a baying
Of far away watching dogs; a dreaming
Of brown-fisted farmers; a gleaming
Of fireflies eddying nigh, —
And that is July!
Share your thoughts about this month’s Moon below!
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My husband and I watched the moon come up over the horizon. It was dark strawberry in color, then blood plum, tangerine and then grapefruit. He doesn't get too excited over the moon rising and tonight he couldn't stop telling me to look; truly mesmerizing.
Good afternoon,
Where is it that I may order a print of the Full Buck Moon print?
Looking forward to hearing some great news of where I may find this amazing print.
Lynda Sue
Hi Lynda,
Prints of our Full Moon graphics are not currently for sale, but we will let you know if they do become available!
We have a small town beach on the north shore of Long Island Sound about 5 minutes by car from our home. We love to take iced tea and go down to watch the sunset on hot evenings and take a late dip, and wave across the water at Connecticut on the mainland. On one side of the small parking lot is the Sound, and on the other, a brackish large pond. There is a 365 degree of the horizon (plus or minus a few trees on the periphery), so it's a great spot to sky watch as well. We were down the other evening and I saw a number of sparkling lights arising from the tree line on the other side of the pond. At first, it appeared that fireflies had awakened for their evening flights. Then it became clear that the lights were airplanes arriving and leaving Kennedy airport, about 30 miles away on the south shore. When the fireflies did begin to arise from the reeds and weeds at the pond's edge it looked like the sky was filled with twinkling glitter. Aaaahh, July on Long Island!
Are the beautiful full moon prints available to purchase?
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