Buck Moon 2026: Why July's Full Moon will look unusually large and golden on July 29
Skywatchers, get ready! This month’s Full Moon will reach its peak brightness on July 29, 2026, at 10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT). The Buck Moon will be the second Full Moon of summer, as it arrives a month after June's Strawberry Moon, and it gets its name from the time of year when the velvety, growing antlers of male deer or bucks become visible. In addition to this, it’s also called the Thunder Moon, for the summer storms that can be common this season, or the Salmon Moon, which marks the salmon run in the Pacific Northwest. The Moon will appear large and golden as it rises on July 29. Here’s the reason why.
What makes the Buck Moon glow gold near the horizon?
The reason comes down to science. When the Moon is low near the horizon, its light has to travel through a much thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere than it does when the Moon is overhead. Along that longer path, shorter blue wavelengths of light get scattered away, while longer red and orange wavelengths pass through more easily and reach our eyes. This is what scientists call Rayleigh scattering. Dust or pollution in the air makes this reddish glow even stronger.
Why will the Buck Moon look bigger than it really is?
As per NASA, this is just a trick of the brain, not physics. When we look at the Moon from where we are standing, nearby landmarks like buildings or trees can give our brain a false size reference. However, it ultimately comes down to how our minds naturally misinterpret the distance and scale of objects near the horizon. This cognitive quirk makes the Moon seem bigger than it really is.
There’s also a way to test this illusion, shared by NASA: "Hold up your outstretched index finger next to the Moon. You'll find that your fingernail and the Moon are about the same size. Or try looking at the Moon through a paper tube, or bend over and look backward between your legs. When you view it like this, the Moon will be nowhere near as big as it had seemed."
More on Starlust:
July 2026 Full 'Buck Moon': Date, peak illumination time and everything skywatchers need to know
August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse to bring rare sunset spectacle—check the best viewing locations
