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J.T. What to Shoot in Carolina’s Night Skies — July 2025

Updated: June 25


Meteor Fire, Planet Parades & the Buck Moon Rising — What’s Coming in North Carolina’s Skies This July 2025


By Juxtaposed Tides | Adventure Forecast: Celestial Chaos Worth Chasing

Meteor, planets, and Buck Moon over landscape. Text: What to shoot in NC skies July 2025, meteor fire, planet parades, Buck Moon rising. Juxtaposed Tides logo at the bottom

Introduction to this Months' Carolina’s Night Skies


The strawberry moon of June hung low like a secret, and those who braved the humid dusk of Deep Gap or dared the hot salt air of the Banks know—when the moon barely clears the horizon, it speaks in color. In stories. In stillness. And we (the Juxtaposed Tides Aperture Abenteuer Team) happened to take in this stellar celestial event from Mocksville NC; an evening skate by the light of this town was a pure delight in itself, from the beautiful community garden to the quaintest and quietest main street. And the epic strawberry moonrise was grand, to say the least.



But now July stretches overhead with a kind of celestial drama you can’t ignore. This is the month when the stars shout. Planets pile up like traffic on the dawn horizon. Meteors fall.

The Milky Way arches proudly across our Carolina sky, and for a few golden nights, we are travelers walking through fire, dust, and starlight.




Whether you’ve got a DSLR, a phone cam, or just your own two eyes, July isn’t subtle—and she’s not showing up quietly.


A Planet Parade Worth Peeling the Lids Back For

All Month | Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune


They don’t usually play this nicely. But in July 2025, almost every major planet gets a role in the early-morning drama. Venus and Jupiter glow brightest—Venus still ruling the east before sunrise, and Jupiter rising late in the month in the northeast with a faint orange gleam.

Mars lingers in the dusk, glowing quietly in the east after sunset, while Saturn rises after midnight and hits its peak visibility before dawn by month’s end. Neptune and Uranus trail behind in the twilight—faint, distant, but faithful.


Don’t miss:

  • Saturn and Neptune’s rare conjunction on July 16, just 1° apart. If you’ve got a telescope or long lens, this is your moment.

  • Venus, Jupiter and Crescent Moon Triad – July 21–23 in the dawn sky. Pull off the road, set the tripod, and shoot sky geometry at its finest.


Best Spots to Watch:

  • Pilot Mountain overlook — shoot the full dawn lineup over the misty valley

  • OBX boardwalks or fishing piers — perfect flat eastern horizon

  • Hanging Rock State Park — predawn hike for ridge silhouettes


The Buck Moon: Standing Tall in the Heat

July 10 | Full Moon | 4:36 PM (rises ~8:40 PM local)


It’s mid-summer and everything is growing—antlers, gardens, fireflies, intentions (and especially the mercury in the glass). The Buck Moon rises with weight. With authority. High in the heat and thick in the atmosphere, it casts light that sticks to the skin. Lights the path for adventure, both mental and physical.


It’s not low like June’s Strawberry, but it’s bolder—higher up, less delicate, more dramatic. And, of course, we all know what they say about the wild ones when the full moon hangs high!


Where to Capture the Rise:

  • Waterrock Knob — high elevation, long western views

  • Uwharrie’s Badin Lake shore — moon reflection shots

  • Salem Lake dock — local, lush, and luminous


Shot Tip: Bring a long lens for the rise, then switch to wide for the moonlight over your landscape.


New Moon = Galactic Gateway

July 24 | New Moon | All Night


You’ve got a deep-sky golden ticket. The moon’s gone dark. No light pollution from the sky’s

brightest spotlight. Time to chase the Milky Way, hunt down the Dumbbell Nebula, and stare straight into cosmic time. Better fasten your safety belts, folks!

Starry night sky with shimmering stars across a dark expanse, fading into a deep red glow at the bottom, evoking a sense of wonder. milky way featuring arora borealis sighting in Black Balsam Knob NC
The Milky Way and Aurora Borealis illuminate the night sky from atop Black Balsam Knob, beautifully captured by a Juxtaposed Tides team member.

This is prime time for stacked exposures, star trails, and full‑frame dreaming.


Milky Way Season Must-Captures:

  • M8 Lagoon Nebula

  • M16 Eagle Nebula

  • M22 Globular Cluster

  • M27 Dumbbell

  • Sagittarius Star Cloud


Where to Go:

  • Grayson Highlands (VA line) — still tops for elevation and darkness

  • PARI (Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute) — science and scenery

  • Rural farmland in Yadkin or Alleghany County — wide open and wild


Two Meteor Showers, One Epic Sky


Delta Aquariids: July 18 – August 21 (Peak: July 29–30)

Alpha Capricornids: July 12 – August 12 (Fireballs mid-month through peak on July 30)


The first is steady. The second is fiery. Together? They might just light the sky on fire. And this year, they peak during a dark moon window, which means visibility is perfection—if the clouds cooperate.


What to Know:

  • Delta Aquariids = fainter but consistent (15–20 meteors/hour)

  • Alpha Capricornids = rare, but bright fireballs when they show


When and Where to View:

  • After midnight, especially post‑new moon (July 24–30)

  • Waterfalls Park (Newland) — wide viewing angles

  • OBX sound-side beaches — open skies and sea whispers

  • Celo Knob area — quiet, high, and dark


Tip: Set up a time-lapse. Don’t watch the sky—let your lens do the work while you chill in a hammock.


The Lunar X and V — Moon Illusion Magic

July 2 | 10:40 PM (UT) = ~6:40 PM EDT (low angle)


This phenomenon only lasts a couple hours. As the light strikes the Moon just right, it creates an optical illusion where a bright “X” and “V” appear near the terminator line. It’s fleeting. It’s weird. It’s beautiful.


Use a telephoto or just grab binoculars and pull up a lawn chair.


Noctilucent Dreams and Planet Lineups

All Month | Just After Sunset or Just Before Sunrise



If the upper atmosphere plays nice, noctilucent clouds—those rare glowing blue whispers—might show themselves just after sunset or just before sunrise. Combine that with the planet parade early and late, and you’ve got sky drama across the clock.


Visual Poetry Tip: Capture silhouettes beneath glowing streaks. Add a human element for scale. Or just bask.


Camera with constellations in a dark sky. Text: July 2025, What to Shoot in Carolina's Night Skies, Brought to You by Juxtaposed Tides.

Photographer’s Corner: What to Bring, What to Chase


  • Wide-angle and long zoom lens combo


  • Dark sky maps (SkyTonight app or Clear Outside)


  • Bug spray and headlamp with red filter


  • Extra batteries (and caffeine)


  • Tripod and intervalometer for star trails or occultations


  • Optional: camp chair, old friend, thermos of tea, open heart


Table titled Photographer’s Corner 2025 with July celestial events. Includes dates, notes, and viewing tips for events like Lunar X and meteor showers. Designed by Juxtaposed Tides

Final Word


July is a month of movement—heavenly and earthly. It’s a celestial migration of light, heat, shadow, and sound. The fireflies flicker. The meteors fall. The planets align. And above it all, the camera waits—quiet, curious, wide open.


Take the picture. But also—take the pause. Let the sky imprint something into you. Be here now!


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