Tonight we can expect a full moon in the sign of Capricorn. The moon takes around 29.5 days to completely orbit the earth once – which is why a full moon appears about once a month. After the strawberry moon in June, another special astrological highlight is now on the horizon. Again marked with a special name, the so-called “buck moon” awaits us. Its name comes from the USA and refers to male deer (bucks), whose antlers are fully formed at this time of year. Traditionally, this full moon is also known as the “hay moon” – a reference to the hay harvest, which reaches its peak in July.
At 22:37 CEST (20:37 GMT), the gibbous moon reaches its full phase. However, the exact rising time of the full moon varies depending on location: In Berlin, the moon rises at 21:57, in Munich at 21:36 and in Dresden at 21:45. In Austria (Vienna) it appears at 21:17 and in Switzerland (Bern) at 21:47. For observers, however, this exact time is less important, as the moon also appears almost full the evening before and the following day – its disk is then about 98% illuminated.
Why the full moon shines so brightly in July
The so-called gibbous moon in July 2025 impresses with its unusually high brightness. This is because the moon is currently very close to the Earth. To be more precise, it is at perigee – its closest point to the Earth – around 363,300 kilometers away from us. This proximity makes it appear significantly larger, around 14% larger than its usual size, and its luminosity increases by around 30%. Because the moon is also low on the horizon, the sight of it is particularly impressive.
Streams of shooting stars in July
After the full moon, shooting stars can also be seen in the sky around two days later. At first there are only a few, as the sunlight reflected by the moon still illuminates the nights brightly. The darker the crescent moon becomes, the darker the nights become – and the fainter shooting stars in particular are then easier to observe. The shooting star swarm of the southern Delta Aquariids begins around July 12, 2025 and extends until August 23.
So, wishful thinkers, watch out: The maximum is expected to be reached on July 31, 2025 – which is why they are also called the July Aquariids. During this maximum, around 25 shooting stars per hour can be observed under ideal conditions. However, these ideal conditions require low light pollution – i.e. little street lighting and no disturbing moonlight. In addition, good weather conditions are also important to enable an optimal view of the celestial phenomenon.
Where can you observe the moon and shooting stars in Berlin?
A place with an unobstructed view of the sky is of course ideal for observing the moon and shooting stars. In the capital, the Großer Tiergarten, Viktoriapark or Tempelhofer Feld are ideal for this. An elevated location such as the Teufelsberg also promises an impressive view. If you are looking for a very special experience, you can visit the Archenhold Observatory or the Wilhelm Foerster Observatory. Alternatively, the astrological highlights can also be observed wonderfully from the city’s beautiful rooftop terraces – for example from Deck5 or other rooftop bars, which you can find here!