How to see the 'Moon Illusion' when July's full moon rises in Indiana

Indianapolis Star

09-07-2025

Now that the fireworks are done with (sort of), another celestial object will brighten this week's evening skies: the full Buck Moon. July's full moon will be especially low on the horizon, too, creating what's known as the "Moon Illusion."
Here's what skywatchers should know.
Thursday, July 10 is when the full Buck Moon charges its way into the night sky, according to NASA. The moon's phases in July 2025 are:
There's something neat that happens when the full moon is closer to the horizon; it looks HUGE. Especially when you glimpse it poking out above a treeline, mountains, buildings or bodies of water. But here's the thing: It's an optical illusion.
The full moon isn't larger when it's near the horizon any more than when it's positioned directly overhead, writes NASA. Our brain tricks us into thinking the moon is bigger because of how we perceive its depth in relation to the other objects around it. This phenomenon is known as the "Moon Illusion."
Story continues after photo gallery.
You can prove the illusion for yourself by changing the way you look at the moon:
In either case, the moon won't appear as big as it once seemed.
July's full moon is going to appear lower on the horizon. The reason is that the Earth is in the midst of "a major lunar standstill," which has to do with the moon's orbit around the Earth.
"It's all about the inclination of the moon's orbit, which undergoes an 18.6-year cycle," writes EarthSky's John Jardine Goss. "The cycle happens because the moon's orbit is being slowly dragged around — mostly due to the pull of the sun — every 18.6 years."
Skies around Central Indiana are expected to be partly cloudy Thursday night, July 10, with lows around 69 in the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Midwest weather tends to be fickle, however, so keep your fingers crossed for clearer skies.
And in case you miss it Thursday, look up again Friday or Saturday night, when the moon will still be 99% and 97% full, respectively.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Indianapolis area will happen by roughly 9:39 p.m. Thursday, July 10, crossing the meridian at 1:19 a.m. before setting at 5:46 a.m. Friday.
You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
A male deer, or buck's antlers were in full growth mode around this time in July, writes the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for July's full moon from Native American tribes include the Salmon Moon, Thunder Moon, and Halfway Summer Moon.
You may have noticed the moon occasionally takes on a dramatic shade of orange or red in the night sky. That's because of how sunlight strikes the moon's surface after passing through our atmosphere.
When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface.
Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blues and violets, scatter more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, which include red and orange. The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, the redder the moon appears.
The Milky Way can best be viewed somewhere far away from bright city lights. Find a dark, safe spot out in the country where you can see more stars in the sky.
If possible, head to Beverly Shores, near Gary, which is an International Dark Sky location and therefore an excellent place for stargazing. You can also travel to Kemil Beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Michigan, which also are designated dark sky locations, according to DarkSky International.
According to NASA, traces of the Milky Way will appear as a "faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south."
If you plan on observing the sky this month, writes NASA, keep the following dates in mind for July 2025:
The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.
The full Sturgeon Moon should reach peak illumination by Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.
When is the next full moon?: When every full moon shines in 2025. Dates, times and the history behind each name.