Look to the skies Hudson Valley, July’s full Buck Moon is on the calendar for Thursday, July 10.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon’s name comes from the fact that a male deer, or buck’s antlers are in full growth mode around this time of year. Other names for the celestial spectacle are the Salmon Moon, Thunder Moon, and the Halfway Summer Moon.
Lunar calendar 2025: Dates for full moons, supermoons, and a total lunar eclipse
When will the July 10 full moon rise in Lower Hudson Valley?
🌕 While the moon is set to rise at 4:36 p.m., the Buck Moon won’t be visible in the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City areas until roughly 8:35 p.m. Thursday, July 10. It will set at about 4:51 a.m. Friday, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says.
🌗The last quarter phase of the moon will occur July 18, followed by a New Moon 🌑 on July 24.
Will we be able to see the moon over Hudson Valley? See the forecast
After a few days of rain, the chance of showers could persist into Wednesday, July 9 according to the National Weather Service. Skies are expected to be partly sunny Wednesday with a high of 86 degrees, but things could change by nightfall. A chance of rain, even thunderstorms, is possible Wednesday night when the Buck Moon is set to be about 98% full. Skies could be mostly cloudy with lows near 69.
On the night of the full moon rise Thursday, look for a 60% chance of showers and a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Cloudy skies could hamper our ability for stargazing Thursday night, as cloudy conditions persist. Expect more showers and possible thunderstorms between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.
An early Friday forecast shows less chance of rain, with mostly cloudy skies at night, so moongazers may be lucky enough to spot the Buck Moon while it’s still pretty full.
Nearly full moon known as the “Buck Moon” is seen above a lake near Marksewo, Poland, July 19, 2024.
Why the full Buck Moon will appear low in the sky July 10
According to Space.com, this week’s full moon will look especially low in the sky after to sunset due to a phenomenon known as a “Major Lunar Standstill.” The phenomenon occurs every 18.6 years, the website says, and is named for what happens when the sun’s gravity “drags the moon’s tilted orbit into its most extreme inclination relative to Earth’s celestial equator.”
A Major Lunar Standstill can be observed for a extended length of time, according to Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory, and will be visible for “much of 2025.” The last time the phenomenon happened was in January 2006. Unlike an eclipse, it can be viewed from any location on the Earth.
Contributing: lohud’s Alexandra Rivera and Ashley C. Fontones.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Why July’s full moon over NY will look so low in the sky