The full moon, photographed in July 2016 from Melbourne, Florida. Credit: Michael Seeley/Flickr.
The phenomenon of a full moon occurs when our planet, Earth, is sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures that the entire side of the Moon facing us shines in the sunlight. Thanks to the Moon's orbit around the Earth, the angle of sunlight reaching the lunar surface and reflecting back onto our planet changes. This creates different lunar phases.
The next Full Moon in 2024 will be at 6:17 am on Sunday, July 21 and is called the Deer Moon.
We'll be updating this article several times a week with the latest moonrise and moonset data, the full moon schedule, and some of what you can expect to see in the sky each week.
Here is the complete list of this year's Full Moons and their traditional names.
Full Moon Calendar 2024 and names of each one
(all times are Eastern)
- January 25 — 12:54 pm — Wolf Moon
- February 24 — 7:30 am — Snow Moon
- March 25 — 3 am — Worm Moon
- April 23 — 7:49 p.m. — Pink Moon
- May 23 — 9:53 am — Flower Moon
- Friday, June 21 — 9:08 p.m. — Strawberry Moon
- Sunday, July 21 — 6:17 am — Buck Moon
- Monday, August 19 — 2:26 p.m. — Sturgeon Moon
- Tuesday, September 17 — 10:34 p.m. — Corn Moon
- Thursday, October 17 — 7:26 am — Hunter's Moon
- Friday, November 15 — 4:28 p.m. — Beaver Moon
- Sunday, December 15 — 4:02 am — Cold Moon
Moon phases in July 2024
The images below show the day to day. moon phases In July. The full moon of this month will be on Sunday, July 21.
Moonrise and moonset times this week
The following is an adaptation of Alison Klesman's The Sky This Week article, which you can find here.
*Sunrise, moonset, and moonrise and moonset times are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. Moonrise and moonset times are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. Moonrise and moonset times are given in local time from the same location.
Wednesday, July 3rd
The Moon passes 5° north of Jupiter at 4 AM EDT. An hour before local dawn, the planet is about 12° high in the east, above and just to the left of Aldebaran, the red giant star that marks the eye of Taurus the Bull. Jupiter is still bright at magnitude -2, making it easy to spot in the early morning sky even as dawn begins to break. As you observe the region, test how long you can continue to see the Pleiades star cluster to Jupiter’s upper right—this group of young stars is one of the most famous open star clusters in our sky.
Meanwhile, the Moon itself can be a bit tricky to spot, with the thin waning crescent showing only a small sliver of the western limb. With a telescope, try to identify the dark, round area of Grimaldi Crater near the southwestern edge of our satellite. This feature is well known for its wide, dark, flat bottom and is technically not a crater, but rather a basin where a larger-than-average mass lies just beneath the surface.
In addition to the more subtle features of the lunar surface, we can now observe the presence of ashen light. This phenomenon, visible to the naked eye, projects a soft, grey light onto the part of the lunar surface that is in the shadow of the Earth: it is reflected sunlight that bounces off the Earth and illuminates the Moon.
Sunrise: 5:37 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 3:04 AM
Moonset: 7:00 PM
Moon phase: Waning moon (6%)
Thursday, July 4th
Sunrise: 5:37 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 3:53 AM
Moonset: 20:03
Moon phase: Waning moon (2%)
Friday, July 5th
Earth reaches aphelion, the farthest point in our nearly (but not quite) circular orbit around the Sun, at 1:00 a.m. EDT. At that time, our planet will be 94.5 million miles (151 million kilometers) from the Sun.
The New Moon will occur tonight at 6:57 PM EDT, ensuring dark skies for those looking to observe dwarf planet 1 Ceres at opposition, a point it will reach tonight at 8 PM EDT.
Sunrise: 5:38 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 4:51 AM
Moonset: 20:56
Moon phase: New
the phases of the moon
The phases of the Moon are: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. A cycle that begins with a Full Moon and ends with its next counterpart, called a synodic month or lunar month, lasts approximately 29.5 days.
Although the Full Moon only occurs during the exact moment when the Earth, Moon and Sun form a perfect alignment, to our eyes the Moon appears full for about three days.
Different names for different types of Full Moon
There are a wide variety of specialized names used to identify different types or times of full moon. These names are mostly traced back to a combination of cultural, agricultural, and natural observations about the moon, which are intended to allow humans to not only predict seasonal changes, but also track the passage of time.
For example, nearly every monthly full moon has a name that comes from Native American, colonial, or other North American traditions, and their titles reflect seasonal changes and natural events.
Wolf Moon (January):Inspired by the cries of hungry wolves.
Snow Moon (February):A nod to the month's heavy snowfall.
Worm Moon (March):It is named after the earthworms that give signals that the soil is thawing.
Pink Moon (April):In honor of the pink wildflowers in bloom.
Flower Moon (May):Celebrating the blooming of flowers.
Strawberry Moon (June):It marks the peak season for strawberry harvesting.
Deer Moon (July):Recognizing the new antlers of the males.
Sturgeon Moon (August):Named after the abundant sturgeon fish.
Corn Moon (September):It means the corn harvest period.
Hunter's Moon (October):It commemorates the hunting season that precedes winter.
Beaver Moon (November):It reflects the time when beavers are busy building their winter dams.
Cold Moon (December):Evocative of the cold of winter.
Additionally, there are some additional names for Full Moons that commonly appear in public conversations and news.
Large moon:This term is reserved for a full Moon that aligns with the lunar perigee, which is the Moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit. This proximity makes the full Moon unusually large and luminous. For a full Moon to earn the Supermoon label, it must be about 90 percent of its closest distance from Earth.
Blue moon: A Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a month. which experiences two full moons. This phenomenon graces our skies approximately every 2.7 years. Although the term suggests a color, blue moons are not actually blue. Very occasionally, atmospheric conditions, such as recent volcanic eruptions, can give the Moon a slightly blueish hue, but this hue is not linked to the term.
Harvest Moon:The Harvest Moon, which occurs closest to the autumn equinox, usually in September, is often famous for the distinctive orange hue it can exhibit. This full moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise, providing long hours of bright moonlight. Historically, this was invaluable to farmers harvesting their produce.
Frequently Asked Questions About Full Moons
What is the difference between a Full Moon and a New Moon? A full Moon is observed when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, making the entire face of the Moon visible. In contrast, during a new Moon, the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, shrouding the Earth-facing face in darkness.
How does the Full Moon influence the tides? The Moon's gravitational pull causes Earth's waters to swell, creating tides. During a full moon and a new moon, the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned. generating “spring tides”. These tides can range exceptionally high or low due to the combined gravitational influences of the Sun and Moon.
Here are the dates of all lunar phases in 2024:
| New | First quarter | Full | Last room |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | |||
| January 11th | January 17 | January 25 | February 2nd |
| February 9th | February 16th | February 24th | March 3rd |
| March 10th | March 17 | March 25th | April 1st |
| April 8 | April 15 | April 23rd | May 1 |
| May 7 | 15 th of May | may 23 | May 30th |
| June 6th | June 14th | June 21 | June 28th |
| July 5th | July 13 | July 21 | July 27th |
| August 4th | August 12 | August 19 | 26 of August |
| September 2nd | 11 of September | September, 17th | 24th September |
| October 2nd | October 10th | October the 17th | October 24th |
| November 1st | November 9th | November 15 | November 22th |
| December 1st | December 8th | December 15th | December 22th |
| December 30th |
