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July’s full moon rises this weekend. Here’s what to expect

The summer full moon has many names including one coinciding with thunderstorm season

FILE PHOTO - A plane passes in front of a full moon Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Milwaukee. The moon's orbit brought it closer to Earth than usual. This cosmic combo is called a supermoon. One name for Wednesday’s full moon is the “Buck moon”==a reference to the time of year when new antlers are growing on male deer, or bucks. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Get ready for a fantastic sight this weekend – the next full moon is making an appearance!

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Buck Moon will be visible this weekend through Monday morning, with its peak shining at 6:17 a.m. on Sunday.

Here’s a fun fact about this moon. It has another name, well it has a few, but one that really hits home around this time of year.

This moon is also known as the Thunder Moon because it coincides with thunderstorm season. With storms in the forecast Saturday and a few on Sunday, when trying to view this moon keep lightning safety in mind. Two really good rules of thumb are “when thunder roars, head indoors” and “if you see it (lightning), flee it”. According to the National Weather Service, lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles from a thunderstorm. This is often farther than the sound of thunder travels. So, that means, that if you can hear thunder you are close enough to a storm to be in danger of being struck by lightning.

NOAA warns people to seek shelter when the sound of thunder rumbles through the air and to wait 30 minutes after the storm to resume activities outside. (NOAA)

Since we’re on the topic of names, where did the the name “Buck Moon” come from? Believe it or not, it was a tradition started by the Maine Farmers’ Almanac in the 1930s. It’s also the time of year where the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year. Each year the antlers get larger and more impressive as the buck ages.

July’s full moon has other names too, like Asalha Puja, Guru Full Moon, Hay Moon, and Mead Moon.

Of course, we at News 6 want to see your pictures of the Buck Moon. Don’t forget to PinIt! and share your pictures with us.


About the Author
Samara Cokinos headshot

Emmy Award Winning Meteorologist Samara Cokinos joined the News 6 team in September 2017. In her free time, she loves running and being outside.