Full Moon Date July 2024: How to see the Buck Moon and how it got its name

The next full moon of 2024 is the Buck Moon. | Canva/Getty Images

It's a sight that has inspired myths, superstitions and awe through the centuries - when the night sky is lit up by the seemingly-perfect glowing sphere of a full moon.

We experience one full moon every month, with each one given a different evocative name.

Here's how to see the seventh one of 2024 - the Buck Moon.

What is a full moon?

A full moon is when moon appears as a complete circle in the sky. The moon produces no light of its own, so this only happens when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun - meaning the whole of the near side of the moon is fully lit up.

When is the Buck Moon in 2024?

The next full moon or ‘Buck Moon’ will reach its peak on the full moon will appear at 6.17am on Sunday, July 21. This time only applies to the UK however as when the full moon rises and sets depends on where you are on the planet. Although when it peaks it will be daylight you'll still be able to see the (almost imperceptibly less) full moon at night - should the cloud stay away.

What is a Buck Moon?

The Buck Moon was so-called by Native Americans due to July being the time when male deer (known as bucks) started to grow their new antlers. Buck deer shed their antlers every year, before growing new ones, and were and important source of food for the Native American tribes.

Why do full moons have different names?

Full moon names are often attributed to Native American tribes that would give full moons nicknames to keep track of them as they didn’t record time using months found in the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Most of the names were linked to a specific event, for example this wolf moon is associated with the presence of howling wolves nearby their camps at this time.

Other moons like the blood moon were thought to be caused by Jaguars who attacked the moon and left it bleeding hence the red colour. These lunar systems and their names differed between tribes but it seems Colonial Americans adopted some of these names and incorporated them into their own calendar systems - their use then spread to other countries, including the United Kingdom.

When are the other full moons of 2024?

Here’s a full list of the remaining full moons in 2024:

August 19 - ‘Sturgeon Moon’ (also a seasonal Blue Moon)

September 18 - ‘Harvest Moon’ (also a Supermoon)

October 17 - ‘Hunter’s Moon’

November 15 - ‘Beaver Moon’

December 15 - ‘Cold Moon’