June's Strawberry Moon Is the Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 — Here's How to See It

Yahoo

2 days ago

Moon gazers are in for a special sighting this year. June's Strawberry Moon is not only the lowest-hanging full moon since 2006, but it will also appear in a wonderfully apt coloring and bring with it a star guest.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about this lunar spectacle.
The 'Strawberry Moon' is the sixth full moon of the year, and if you've been strawberry picking recently, you might be able to guess how this moon got its name.
All of the 12 full moons have nicknames relating to changes in nature through the year. People all over the world gave the full moon names, but the ones commonly used today originated in Native American culture. Tribes used the moon cycle to keep track of the changing seasons.
May's full 'Flower Moon', for example, gets its name from the abundance of flowers which start to grow around that time, and the preceding 'Pink Moon' is named after a species of wildflower that starts blooming in North America in April. June's full 'Strawberry Moon' refers to the ripening of wild strawberries.
The full Strawberry Moon reached it peak at 3:44 a.m. EDT on the morning of June 11. The peak, Imo Bell, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, explains, is the exact moment 'when the side of the moon facing us is fully lit by the sun.' But, you still have time to enjoy the Strawberry Moon because a full moon can look fully illuminated for up to three days, starting the day before. The night of Tuesday, June 11, is still in the prime viewing window. You can find the exact moonrise time for your location at The Farmer's Almanac.
The Strawberry Moon is always a special occurrence because it is the year's lowest-hanging full moon. Earth's natural satellite, as Imo explains, has to be directly opposite the sun to be fully illuminated, which means that when the sun is highest in the sky (always in the month of June), the moon will be at its lowest point.
But in 2025, the Strawberry Moon is extra special. 'This year is even more extreme as we have reached a 'lunar standstill' where the tilt of the moon's orbit, which processes over an 18.6-year cycle, has reached its most extreme, resulting in the lowest full moon since 2006,' Imo says.
And because the full moon hangs so low, the Strawberry Moon, amazingly, might actually kind of look like a strawberry.
"The moon may appear reddish when it's near the horizon due to the scattering of the sun's light," says Imo. The sun's light, they continue, is all colors of the rainbow, which get "split and scattered", or refracted, through the atmosphere.
"The blues, with shorter wavelengths, get scattered first, which is why the sky is blue in the day," says Imo. "The oranges and reds have longer wavelengths and are what remains after the blues have been scattered off, resulting in reddish sunrises and sunsets – and of course, a reddish moon when near the horizon."
Alongside June's Strawberry Moon, another reddish celestial sight is possible. On 10th and 11th June, you will be able to spot a bright red star right next to the moon, the Red supergiant Antares.
"The Moon and Antares together will be a distinctive sight since the star is red enough that it's known for being mistaken for the red planet Mars, with its name even meaning 'rival of Mars' in Ancient Greek," says Imo.
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