Full moon in July

By Alexander Merz · Updated on 28 August 2026 · Details checked on 14 September 2026

Here you will find the exact date of the full moon in July – with the time for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the traditional name of the month’s full moon and the dates for the years ahead.

And if you want to see the Moon closer than with the naked eye: our buying guide for beginners explains which telescope makes sense to start with, what budget to plan for and which classic mistakes to avoid.

How the full moon sits in the sky in July

In July too the full moon stays low and tracks flat across the southern sky. This closeness to the horizon often makes it look golden to orange.

Buck Moon – where the name comes from

The Buck Moon is named after the deer, which push out their new antlers in these weeks. A second tradition calls it the Thunder Moon, after the summer thunderstorms that are most frequent in July. The German Heuert or Heumond refers to the hay harvest.

Almost all of the full moon names in common use today come from North America and were popularised by American almanacs. German-speaking countries had their own names for the months: July was called Heuert or Heumond. Both traditions mean the same thing – an attempt to pin the course of the year to what is actually happening outdoors.

What else is happening in the sky in July

In July the summer Milky Way stands nicely high after midnight, and the Summer Triangle dominates the sky. Towards the end of the month the first Perseids are already getting under way.

Full moon in July: the dates for the coming years

The interval from one full moon to the next averages 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. Because our calendar months are longer, the date shifts forward year by year – which is why the full moon in July never falls on the same date. All upcoming dates are listed in the full moon calendar, and our page on the Moon explains how the phases come about.

The dates that are actually worth it are often months apart – and easily forgotten. So you do not miss one:

Observing the full moon – an honest note

As lovely as the full moon is to the naked eye, in a telescope this is precisely the phase in which it is least interesting. Because the Sun shines straight down onto the lunar surface, the shadows are missing and craters look flat. You see considerably more a few days before or after full moon along the day-night boundary, the so-called terminator.

If you still want to look at the full moon through a telescope, you should use a moon filter, a grey filter that dims the brightness – without one the glare is uncomfortable. For 1.25-inch eyepieces the Apertura 1.25" Moon Filter*Omegon Premium Moon Filter 1.25″* is all you need (at $14.95€ 19.90) – spending more buys you nothing here. There is more on this in our buying guide to observing the Moon.

The summer Milky Way handheld: bright binoculars: Celestron Cometron 7x50 Binoculars

The astronomy classic among affordable binoculars: 7×50 with a large exit pupil for bright handheld views of the Moon and Milky Way – the ideal first step before a telescope.

Price: € 65

View at Astroshop* →

← June  ·  Calendar  ·  August →