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 Buck Moon.
We'll update this article several times a week with the latest moonrise and moonset data, the full moon schedule, and some of what you'll be able 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 of 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 pm – Pink Moon
- May 23 – 9:53 am – Flower Moon
- Friday, June 21 – 9:08 pm – 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 pm – Beaver Moon
- Sunday, December 15 – 4:02 am – Cold Moon
Moon phases in June 2024
The following images show the day to day. moon phases In June. The June full moon was at 6:17 am on Friday, June 21.
Moonrise and moonset times this week
The following is adapted from Alison Klesman's The Sky This Week article, which you can find here.
*The times of sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. Moon illumination is given at 12 pm local time from the same location.
Sunday, June 30
Sunrise: 5:35 AM
Sunset: 20:33
Moonrise: 1:23 AM
Moonset: 15:21
Moon phase: Waning moon (30%)
Monday July 1
The Moon now passes 4° north of Mars at 2 pm EDT. Visible early this morning, the pair is 30° high in the east an hour before sunrise, with the Moon appearing directly above magnitude 1 Mars. Both are in the constellation Aries, whose brightest star is a magnitude brighter. weaker than Mars: Hamal, magnitude 1, which is higher than the Moon.
Even higher in the sky, above Aries, lies the constellation Andromeda. Earlier in the morning (say, two or three hours before sunrise) you might try to spot the Milky Way's larger neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy (M31). Shining at magnitude 3.4, Andromeda is visible to the naked eye in both bright and dark conditions. It lies 1.3° west of magnitude 4.5 Nu (ν) Andromedae, so it's relatively easy to find.
Just 2.5 million light-years away, Andromeda spans 3° across the sky. Take your time to enjoy it with a telescope of any size; larger apertures will reveal more detail, such as a brighter central core and faint spiral arms. You’ll also be able to see its two brightest satellite galaxies, M32 and NGC 205, just ½° south and northwest of the galaxy’s center, respectively.
Sunrise: 5:35 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 1:51 am
Moonset: 4:35 p.m.
Moon phase: Waning crescent moon (20%)
Tuesday July 2
Continuing along the morning line of planets, the Moon passes 4° north of Uranus at 6 AM EDT. You can use our satellite to help you find the distant ice giant in the pre-dawn sky; One hour before sunrise, take out your binoculars or any small telescope and place them 4° south of the Moon to land on Uranus, the penultimate planet from the Sun. With a brightness of magnitude 6, Uranus's disk measures only 3″, thanks to its distance. It should appear as a “flat,” disk-shaped star compared to the tiny stars around it.
Sunrise: 5:36 am
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 2:24 AM
Moonset: 17:50
Moon phase: Waning crescent (12%)
Wednesday, July 3
The Moon passes 5° north of Jupiter at 4 am EDT. An hour before local sunrise, 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 remains a bright –2 magnitude, making it easy to spot in the early morning sky even as dawn begins to approach. As you observe the region, test how long you can continue to see the Pleiades star cluster to the upper right of Jupiter; This group of young stars is one of the most famous open clusters in our sky.
Meanwhile, the Moon itself can be a little difficult to spot, as the thin waning crescent shows only a tiny portion of its western branch. Using a telescope, see if you can identify the round, dark spot of Grimaldi Crater near the southwestern edge of our satellite. This feature is well known for its wide, dark, flat floor and is technically not a crater, but rather a basin where there is a larger than average mass just below the surface.
In addition to the finer features on the Moon's surface, look for Earthshine today. Visible to the naked eye, this phenomenon casts the portion of the lunar surface in Earth's shadow in a soft, gray light—this is reflected sunlight bouncing off Earth and illuminating the Moon.
Sunrise: 5:37 a.m.
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 3:04 AM
Moonset: 7:00 PM
Moon phase: Waning moon (6%)
Thursday July 4
Sunrise: 5:37 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 3:53 AM
Moonset: 20:03
Moon phase: Waning crescent (2%)
Friday, July 5
Earth reaches aphelion, the farthest point in our nearly (but not quite) circular orbit around the Sun, at 1 am EDT. At that time, our planet will be 151 million kilometers (94.5 million miles) from the Sun.
The New Moon occurs this evening at 6:57 p.m. EDT, ensuring dark skies for those looking to observe dwarf planet 1 Ceres at opposition, a point it reaches tonight at 8 p.m. EDT.
Sunrise: 5:38 AM
Sunset: 20:32
Moonrise: 4:51 a.m.
Moonset: 20:56
Moon phase: New
the phases of the moon
The phases of the Moon are: New Moon, Crescent Moon, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, Last Quarter and Waning Moon. A cycle that begins with a Full Moon and reaches its next counterpart, called the 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 approximately 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 mainly date back to a combination of cultural, agricultural and natural observations about the moon, which aim to allow humans to not only predict seasonal changes but also track the passage of time.
For example, almost every month's Full Moon has a name from Native American, Colonial American, or other North American traditions, and its titles reflect seasonal changes and events in nature.
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 gets its name from the earthworms that give signs 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):Marks the peak strawberry harvest season.
Buck Moon (July):Recognizing the new antlers of the males.
Sturgeon Moon (August): It owes its name to the abundant sturgeon fish.
Corn Moon (September):Means the corn harvest period.
Hunter's Moon (October):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): Evokes 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. that 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 bluish tint, but this hue is not linked to the term.
harvest moon: The Harvest Moon, which occurs closer to the autumn equinox, usually in September, is often famous for a distinctive orange tint it can display. This Full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise, providing long hours of bright lunar light. 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 swing 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 2 |
| February 9 | 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 30 |
| 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 30 |
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