The moon rises in the southeast sky on Thursday evening around 9 p.m. in both D.C. and San Francisco. July’s full moon — the first of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere — will reach peak illumination at 4:38 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, with best viewing during the predawn and again after dark in the evening.

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.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, July’s full moon is called the Buck Moon. It is named after male deer (bucks) who are busy growing their antlers this time of year. Each summer, these antlers grow bigger and stronger, a fitting symbol of growth and resilience.