The Buck Moon rises tonight, 29 July 2026, marking the full Moon at the height of summer.
Because the Buck Moon reaches peak illumination – the time when it is most ‘full’ – at 15:36 UTC, for many observers this will occur when the Moon is below the horizon.
But when it does finally rise in the summer sky, the Buck Moon will still be a full Moon, providing a beautiful celestial sight that’s best enjoyed with the naked eye.
The Buck Moon is so-called because July is the time of year when male deer – ‘bucks’ – begin to grow their antlers.
Credit: Giovanni Migliorisi
Summer full Moons are trickier to see than winter full Moons because all full Moons rise at sunset – which is later in summer than in winter – and also because they never rise very far above the horizon.
So if you’re observing the 2026 Buck Moon in Northern Hemisphere, you’ll need to find a clear southern horizon to watch it rise and track across the southern sky.
If you’re observing the Buck Moon in the Southern Hemisphere, it will rise much higher in the sky and be easier to see.
For Northern Hemisphere viewers, the low-lying full Moon could give you a sight of the eye-catching Moon illusion and also make the Moon take on an orange-red hue.
Here are the Moonrise times for the 2026 Buck Moon for key cities across the globe.
Region
City
Rise time
North America
New York
20:33 EDT
Los Angeles
20:18 PST
Chicago
20:31 CST
Houston
20:35 CST
Toronto
21:02 EDT
Mexico City
19:35 CST
Europe
London
21:07 BST
Edinburgh
21:40 BST
Cardiff
21:00 BST
Belfast
21:28 BST
Dublin
21:40 IST
Berlin
21:16 CEST
Paris
21:46 CEST
Asia, Middle East
New Delhi
19:16 IST
Dubai
19:09 GST
Tokyo
18:46 JST
Oceania
Sydney
16:46 AEST
Melbourne
17:02 AEST
Auckland
17:00 NZST
South America
São Paulo
17:51 BRT
Buenos Aires
18:18 ART
Lima
18:16 PET
Africa
Johannesburg
17:36 SAST
Lagos
19:12 WAT
Cairo
19:57 EEST
Share your observations and images of the 2026 Buck Moon by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
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