Technologies

Here’s When to See July’s Spectacular Buck Moon, Along With Mars and Venus

July’s full moon, also known as the Thunder Moon, will fill the sky on July 10.

It’s officially summer, and with that comes the first full moon of the season. July’s full moon — known as the Buck Moon or the Thunder Moon — will light up the night sky on July 10 and be at its fullest going into July 11, reaching peak luminosity at around 4:37 a.m. local time, which is a bit late, but it’ll still be bright for the whole night.

According to Stellarium’s sky map, the moon will rise from the southeastern horizon just after sunset in your local time and streak across the sky before setting on the southwestern horizon just before dawn. No matter where you are in the US, you’ll be able to see it virtually all night.

Should you not be able to see the moon due to weather or some other reason, you can also soak up a great view anytime from July 8-12 as the moon will be more than 95% full during those days.

Why is it called the Buck Moon or Thunder Moon?

According to The Farmer’s Almanac, July’s full moon actually has several names, including Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Feather Moulting Moon, and Salmon Moon. These names typically come from Native American and colonial times and were used to describe the moon for the entire month, not just when it’s full.

White-tailed deer start growing antlers in March or April as the days start to lengthen. July marks the peak of their antler growth season, hence the name Buck Moon. Thunderstorms are also common in July, which is why it’s also called the Thunder Moon.

The other two names are less common, but July marks the time when some species of salmon begin migrating for the mating season, while ducks engage in their annual molting around this time of year as well.

Catch a glimpse of Mars and Venus, too

The moon will be joined in the sky by Mars and Venus during its trip across the sky on July 10. Mars will be visible just after sunset in the western sky before setting. You won’t have long, since it’s scheduled to dip below the horizon before midnight. If you choose to stay up late, Venus will crest the eastern horizon shortly after 2 a.m. local time and be visible until sunrise.

Saturn will also be visible in the eastern sky, not far from the moon, but you’ll likely need binoculars or a telescope to see it with the moon’s glow.

Once the moon finishes its monthly cycle, skygazers can check out the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids meteor showers, both of which are scheduled to peak during the last few days of July.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 3.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword stumped me in a few spots. 8-Across had me thinking of a couple different words, but I landed on it eventually. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Glaswegian or Edinburgher
Answer: SCOT

5A clue: 2025 Pixar film about a boy who gets abducted by aliens
Answer: ELIO

6A clue: Strong string
Answer: TWINE

7A clue: Religious devotee with a shaved head, maybe
Answer: MONK

8A clue: Calligrapher’s assortment
Answer: INKS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Attach, as a button
Answer: SEWON

2D clue: Sound of two glasses being «cheers-ed»
Answer: CLINK

3D clue: Noises from a pig
Answer: OINKS

4D clue: «Little piggy»
Answer: TOE

6D clue: «Did I overshare?»
Answer: TMI

Technologies

Starlink Plans to Send 42K Satellites Into Space. That Could Be Bad News for the Ozone

Technologies

Scary Survey Results: Teen Drivers Are Often Looking at Their Phones

New troubling research found that entertainment is the most common reason teens use their phones behind the wheel, followed by texting and navigation.

A new study reveals that teen drivers in the US are spending more than one-fifth of their driving time distracted by their phones, with many glances lasting long enough to significantly raise the risk of a crash. Published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention and released on Thursday, the research found that, on average, teens reported looking at their phones during 21.1% of every driving trip. More than a quarter of those distractions lasted two seconds or longer, which is an amount of time widely recognized as dangerous at highway speeds.

Most distractions tied to entertainment, not emergencies

The top reason teens said they reached for their phones behind the wheel was for entertainment, cited by 65% of respondents. Texting (40%) and navigation (30%) were also common. Researchers emphasized that these distractions weren’t typically urgent, but rather habitual or social.

Teens know the risks

The study includes survey responses from 1,126 teen drivers across all four US regions, along with in-depth interviews with a smaller group of high schoolers. Most participants recognized that distracted driving is unsafe and believed their parents and peers disapproved of the behavior.

But many teens also assumed that their friends were doing it anyway, pointing to a disconnect between personal values and perceived social norms.

Teens think they can resist distractions

Interestingly, most teens expressed confidence in their ability to resist distractions. That belief, researchers suggest, could make it harder to change behavior unless future safety campaigns specifically target these attitudes.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Rebecca Robbins of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said interventions should aim to shift social norms while also emphasizing practical steps, such as enabling «Do Not Disturb» mode and physically separating drivers from their devices.

«Distracted driving is a serious public health threat and particularly concerning among young drivers,» Robbins said. «Driving distracted doesn’t just put the driver at risk of injury or death, it puts everyone else on the road in danger of an accident.»

What this means for parents and educators

The researchers say their findings can help guide educators and parents in developing more persuasive messaging about the dangers of distracted driving. One of the recommendations is that adults need to counter teens’ beliefs that phone use while driving is productive or harmless.

While the study’s qualitative component was limited by a small and non-urban sample, the authors believe the 38-question survey they developed can be used more broadly to assess beliefs, behaviors and the effectiveness of future safety efforts.