When July’s full moon rises on Tuesday, there will also be a partial lunar eclipse. Unfortunately, most of us living in North America won’t get to see it.
The first full moon in July is known as the “Thunder Moon” due to the frequent thunderstorms this time of the year, according to Accuweather.com.
There will also be a partial lunar eclipse which makes it a “Half-Blood Thunder Moon.” The “blood” term comes from the way the moon appears red when it passes into Earth’s shadow. A full moon is called a “blood” moon.
The Farmers Almanac also calls July a “Buck Moon” because at this time of year, buck’s antler’s are in full growth mode.
The full moon names used by the Old Farmers Almanac come from Native American tribes, Colonial Americans, or other traditional North American names passed down through generations.
The partial lunar eclipse won’t be seen in North America, according to timeanddate.com. This partial lunar eclipse, the last lunar eclipse of 2019, is visible from Australia, Africa, South America, most of Europe, and Asia. The eclipse will miss North America, except for the very southern and eastern parts of the continent.
In addition to Tuesday’s moon, there will be two other events skywatchers will want to take notice of this month.
According to Accuweather:
- July 29 and 30: Double meteor showers! For two nights near the end of the month, look south to see the peak of both the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids. The two will combine for a total of about 25 meteors per hour.
- July 31: Black Moon What is a black moon? It’s the opposite of a blue moon, AccuWeather explains. Instead of two full moons in a month, a black moon refers to two new moons in a month. This is good news for astronomy enthusiasts since it means plenty of good opportunities for star-gazing.
