Full Thunder Moon Arrives Just in Time for Mother Nature's Fireworks Show

I had company on my way to work this morning. Yes, the nearly Full Moon smiled directly at me from a fairly low angle above the horizon as I drove westbound along I-95 in the middle of the night. And what a sight it was. You, too, may have noticed the light of the Moon filtering into your window last night.

In case you’re wondering, the Full Thunder Moon happens at 2:52 this afternoon. The Full Thunder Moon is so named since thunderstorms are common during this time of the year. Another name for this month’s Moon is the Full Buck Moon. July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer rush out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. Another name for this month’s Moon is the Full Hay Moon.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

A Full Moon rises at about the same time the Sun is setting. Since the length of daylight is about 15 hours and four minutes today, the Full Moon will rise later and set earlier this time of the year. In addition, the Full Moon will appear lower in the sky since it won’t be visible nearly as long as during the mid-Winter nights.

For example, the Moon rises at 8:23 this evening (99.4% full) and sets at 6:30 tomorrow morning (99.6% full). That means the Moon will be visible for ten hours and seven minutes. Conversely, six months from now in January when the amount of daylight is at a minimum, the Full Wolf Moon will appear higher in the sky and be visible for about 17-and-half-hours. That’s over seven hours longer than this time of the year!

We won't be able to see much of the Moon tonight since an approaching warm front will bring clouds, more humidity, and showers and thunderstorms late at night. Tomorrow will be quite warm and muggy with more showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High temperatures will climb into the mid-to-upper 80s once again. I suppose the Full Thunder Moon will come just in time for Mother Nature's Independence Day fireworks show of her own.

Paul