The Buck Moon in 2027: date, time and why it has that name
July's full Moon, the Buck Moon, is full on . It is named for male deer, whose new antlers are growing fast in midsummer.
Next three
The next three Buck Moon dates
- 405,968 km
- 393,944 km
- 383,889 km
The Buck Moon is the first full Moon of July by UTC date. In a time zone far ahead of or behind UTC, the date you see for it can fall in the next or previous month.
The name
Why it is called the Buck Moon
Buck Moon is July's name in American almanacs. In midsummer a male deer's new antlers are in their fast-growing stage, covered in soft velvet, which is the picture the name points to. It belongs to the wildlife calendar more than to the farm calendar.
Thunder Moon and Hay Moon also name July's full Moon, for summer storms and for the hay harvest. The Anglo-Saxon month list calls July After Litha, the month after midsummer, and the modern revival list gives it the Moon of Claiming.
- Usually in
- July
- Next full
- Distance then
- 405,968 km
- Supermoon then
- No
- Next three
- Jul 18, 2027 · Jul 6, 2028 · Jul 25, 2029
In the sky
How the Buck Moon looks
July air is warm and often hazy, so the Buck Moon tends to come up a rich orange. It rises south-east and keeps a low path, about 29 degrees at its highest at 40 degrees north, much like June's. The giant look over the horizon is an illusion of comparison with trees and ridgelines; its width does not change.
A full Moon looks full for about two nights. If clouds hide the exact night, the evening before or after is just as good, and the Moon rises close to sunset on both.
July is deep winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Buck Moon is a high winter Moon there, passing about 76 degrees up at 35 degrees south on a long cold night. The deer are a northern story; the Moon is the same.
- Northern Hemisphere
- The Moon rises in the east near sunset
- Southern Hemisphere
- The same Moon, markings turned upside down
- Colour
- Gold near the horizon, white once it climbs
- Rises
- Around sunset
- Sets
- Around sunrise
Questions people ask
Quick answers
When is the next Buck Moon?
July 18, 2027 (UTC). The cards above show the next three, in your time zone.
Why is it called the Buck Moon?
Buck Moon is July's name in American almanacs. In midsummer a male deer's new antlers are in their fast-growing stage, covered in soft velvet, which is the picture the name points to. It belongs to the wildlife calendar more than to the farm calendar.
Is the Buck Moon a supermoon?
Not the next one: the Moon is 405,968 km away, farther than 361,400 km. Some years it is.
Does the Buck Moon change colour?
The Moon only looks gold or orange when it is low and its light crosses a lot of air. Higher up it looks white.
Is this name the same everywhere?
No. These are the US almanac names. Other regions and traditions name the same full Moons differently, and the names are not one single tradition.