Why does the moon look so bright tonight? When and what to know about July 2025 full buck moon in Capricorn sign meaning — before Mercury Retrograde

The name “buck moon” is in reference to male deer, or bucks, which start to rapidly grow their antlers this time of year. This year’s buck moon reached its peak illumination at 4:37 p.m. ET on Thursday, which is when it was fully visible and low on the horizon for stargazers in North America.

The July full moon shone brightly over Greece's 2,500-year-old Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion late Thursday. (AP video: Srdjan Nedeljkovic)

Skywatchers may have a harder time spotting July's full moon in Iowa. The evening of Wednesday, July 9, is expected to have 50-80% cloud cover across the state with some thunderstorms possible starting in western Iowa around 10 p.m. and moving across the state through the night, according to the National Weather Service.