This month’s full “Strawberry Moon” graces the night sky on June 11, putting on a spectacular show as the fully-lit disk of Earth’s natural satellite rides low over the southeastern horizon.
What is a full ‘Strawberry Moon’?
A full moon occurs each month when the moon is positioned opposite the sun in Earth’s sky, which allows the lunar disk to be fully lit from our perspective.
Other cultures have dubbed the event the Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon, Birth Moon and Hatching moon, to name a few.
When and where will the Strawberry Moon rise?
On June 11, this month’s full “Strawberry Moon” will shine brightly in the night sky as the Earth’s natural satellite’s fully-lit disk passes low over the southeast horizon.
What does a full “Strawberry Moon” look like?
Every month, there is a full moon when the moon is in the opposite position from the sun in the Earth’s sky, allowing us to see the entire lunar disk. Though there’s a good chance it will turn yellow-orange when close to the horizon because of our atmosphere’s propensity to scatter specific light wavelengths, the term “Strawberry Moon” referring to June’s full moon in America isn’t a reference to its actual color.
Rather, the Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests that the evocative name was created by Native American Algonquian tribes to refer to the brief strawberry harvesting season that occurs around this time of year. The event has been referred to by various names in other cultures, including the Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon, Birth Moon, and Hatching Moon.
Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure: next week, when the full moon in June illuminates the night sky, it will be a spectacular spectacle.
The Strawberry Moon will rise, but when and where?
For viewers in New York, this month’s full moon phase will take place at 3:44 a.m. on June 11. m. GMT 0744, or EDT. The precise time of the event will change based on where you are on Earth, so make sure to check a reliable website like TimeandDate.com for information specific to your area.
By sunset on June 10, the astrophotography community will have the best chance to photograph the Strawberry Moon near the horizon, as the lunar disk will appear fully lit to stargazers across America.
Due to the little-known “moon illusion,” which is the odd phenomenon whereby the human brain makes things appear larger than they actually are when they are near the horizon, Earth’s natural satellite will appear especially large to the unaided eye at moonrise.
Because June is so close to the summer solstice, when the sun is at its highest, the full moon in June always follows a predictable low path across the spring sky. The stargazing website Earthsky.org reports that this year’s Strawberry Moon will be the lowest in decades due to a phenomenon where the sun’s gravitational pull pulls the moon’s tilted orbit around.
