The Moon looked spectacular over parts of the south on Thursday night. This particular Moon was a Buck Moon, a type of supermoon - when the Moon is closest to the Earth, and full. Monthly full Moons have different names, and July's is named to represent the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin to grow their new antlers.

The July 2025 full 'Buck Moon' will give stargazers an opportunity to appreciate several distinct quirks of orbital mechanics at work! For starters, it falls close to the summer solstice, a time of the year when the sun rides particularly high in the sky, while the moon tracks a low path over the southern horizon.

July's full moon, often called the "Buck Moon," will occur on July 10, 2025.