As of Monday, July 7, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. From Earth, 89% of the moon will appear visible (according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation ).

At this time, the sun shines at such an angle to make it appear as if there is a gigantic 'V' and 'X' marking the barren lunar surface. This kind of phenomenon is referred to as a 'clair-obscur' effect and occurs when the interplay between light and shadow leads to the chance formation of familiar shapes on the moon 's craggy terrain.

This July full moon signals the time when male deer, or bucks, begin to grow their new antlers, covered in soft velvet.

It's also the third moon in the lunar cycle. But unfortunately, there's still not enough light on the moon's surface to see any craters or other interesting geological features. W