July's Full Buck Moon Will Share the Sky With Mercury—Here's How to See the Celestial Phenomenon

Once every month, a full moon illuminates the night sky. But stargazers are in for a special treat this July: the full Buck Moon, also known as the Thunder Moon, will share the evening sky with Mercury, according to Space.com.

The full moon is expected to peak on July 21 at 6:17 a.m. EDT, per the United States Naval Observatory. On the night of the full moon, just after sunset, stargazers will also be able to spot Mercury. The planet sets at 9:34 p.m. EDT but will reach its greatest eastern elongation at 11:37 p.m. Those watching the phenomenon should be able to spot Mercury with the naked eye.

According to NASA, a full moon occurs when the moon is opposite the sun, as seen by us from Earth. Typically, full moons rise around sunset and set around sunrise. The moon will look full for a couple of days before it moves into the waning gibbous phase.

The full Buck Moon may appear yellow in color to stargazers. According to Space.com, this is because summertime full moons in the Northern Hemisphere tend to be lower in the sky, meaning the reflected light from the moon has to go through more of Earth's atmosphere, which can scatter blue light.

July's full moon is referred to colloquially as the Buck Moon. This is because early summer is typically when buck deer push out new antlers, NASA states. Another moniker given to July's full moon is the Thunder Moon due to the frequent thunderstorms that occur in early summer.