The full buck moon will reach its peak illumination on Thursday, July 10. It’s just one of this month’s celestial highlights.

July’s full moon is called "the Buck Moon” because in July, velvet antler growth, called antlerogenesis, makes an older buck’s rack often very noticeable and actually at its peak growth rate.

The first full moon of the astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, known as the Buck Moon, will grace the night sky today. This celestial event is particularly special as it will be one of the lowest-hanging full moons of the year. The name "Buck Moon" comes from new-growth antlers on male deer that appear in July in North America.