The full Buck Moon rose to delight and dazzle stargazers with a spectacular display of moonlight on July 29 and we’ve got the photos to prove it!
July’s moon is also known as the full “Buck Moon” — a traditional name used by Native American tribes to reflect the time of year when young deer grow out their antlers. Sadly, the name didn’t herald any dramatic transformation in the appearance of the moon, but it still made for a spectacular sight — and photo opportunities — as it climbed above the eastern horizon at sunset on July 29.
Here’s a selection of spectacular photos of the July Buck Moon 2026 captured alongside gorgeous natural landscapes, terrifying wildfires and stunning cityscapes from around the world.
Best photos of the July 2026 full Buck Moon
Our first photo of the full Buck Moon comes courtesy of Mesut Karaduman, who captured a gorgeously framed view of a ballerina performing in front of the yellow-orange lunar disk on a hillside close to the city of Tekirdağ in northwestern Türkiye on July 29.
Sadly, the rising of the full Buck Moon was not a tranquil occasion for some in Europe, where its color was stained a deep crimson by the smoke from wildfires, which continue to ravage vulnerable areas in the wake of a prolonged heatwave.
Photographer Sergen Sezgin captured one such scene firsthand, as the moon rose over a smouldering hillside close to the Turkish city of Balıkesir, a few hundred miles south of Tekirdağ.
Kevin McCarthy captured this photo of the full Buck Moon as it glowed in the skies over North Carolina, with the dark profiles of lunar seas and bright pockmarks of craters scarring the lunar surface.
“I stepped out onto my driveway in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 11:15 p.m. to capture tonight’s full Buck Moon,” McCarthy told Space.com in an email. “The moon has a definite warm tint likely caused by its low position in the sky, causing the light to pass through thicker layers of the atmosphere. “
That same moon appeared warped by atmospheric disturbances when it rose above the city of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge on that same night, as a flock of birds flitted across its ancient surface in this photo from Tayfun Coskun.
Coskun captured another gorgeous scene of the moon rising over San Francisco on July 28, as the last of the day’s sunlight kissed the tops of the surrounding hills, along with the tallest of the city’s skyscrapers.
Mert Alper captured another image of moonrise being watched by a couple from Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Canada, as the lunar disk emerged from behind a dense cloud bank to brighten the evening sky.
Gary Hershorn, meanwhile, captured this magnificently timed view of the full Buck Moon as it shone at the pinnacle of Manhattan’s One World Trade Center in New York on July 29 while looking over the Hudson River from New Jersey.
Our next atmospheric shot was taken with the aid of a telephoto lens by Ismail Kaplan during moonrise, as the lunar disk shimmered alongside Ankara Castle in the capital city of Türkiye.
This beautiful photo of the moon shining in the wheel of a young boy’s bicycle was taken as the moon rose over the Zemplen Hills close to the Hunfarian town of Telkibánya that same night.
Finally, Izhar Khan was able to capture this impressive view of a bat’s silhouette darkening the Sea of Tranquility and the Sea of Serenity as it flew through the night sky over Sydney, Australia.
The July 29 full moon is just the opening act for a spectacular month of skywatching events, kicking off with a jaw-dropping total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 that will be seen from Spain, Iceland and Greenland, which coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
That’s followed just two weeks later with a spectacular lunar eclipse that sees the moon fall deep into our planet’s shadow, painting it a rusty-orange hue, weather permitting.
Be sure to check out our roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography to ensure that you’re ready to capture next month’s action-packed calendar of skywatching events, along with our guide to the best solar viewing gear available in 2026.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
