While colorful fireworks were lighting up the sky during the past several days, this week the nighttime glow will come from the full July moon, nicknamed the “buck moon” or the “thunder moon.” The July moon will be officially turning full at 4:37 p.

July's Buck Moon for 2025 is just around the corner, here's why it's extra special this year, plus when it's happening and how to see it.

The Old Farmer's Almanac, which began publishing full moon names in the 1930s, says some Native American tribes called July's full moon the "buck moon" because it occurs in early summer, when male deer (bucks) typically begin growing new antlers covered in velvety fur.