June's Strawberry Moon Is the Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 — Here's How to See It
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.
You Might Also Like
70 Impressive Tiny Houses That Maximize Function and Style
30+ Paint Colors That Will Instantly Transform Your Kitchen
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
What if visitors got to the Cape bridges and just stopped — on purpose?
I usually have a lot of company on those peaceful two-lane paths: other walkers with and without dogs, runners, cyclists, moms with strollers, even one roller-blader pushing a large ginger cat in a net-enclosed carriage. Saltwater fishermen seeking striped bass, bluefish, and more dot the rocky shore, competing with cormorants and blue herons. Grassy areas at each outlet and along the way are dotted with people in beach chairs, picnicking, reading, chatting, or just watching the busy boat traffic and, occasionally, large visiting marine life. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up For many locals and visitors, the canal is simply their waterfront recreation area. Private boaters ride through for the experience, or the chance — like the many commercial vessels — to cut off dozens of miles from the trip around the Outer Cape. On land, there are two large campgrounds on the north side, woodsy walking trails, parks, state and town beaches, historic museums, and easy restaurant access on either end. Advertisement While there's much to see and do on the 65-mile Cape stretch that lies beyond, probably only a small percentage of people stewing in bridge traffic realize that maybe they should stop alongside the canal first — or maybe their visit doesn't need to go any farther. Cutting the Cape from the mainland The canal was an idea for centuries before planners finally got it right. (See sidebar.) For Native American tribes and early colonists, the area was where two rivers flowed for travel. It wasn't until the early 20th century that dredging and dynamiting joined the ocean on both sides of Massachusetts. During the Depression, the canal became a federal work project with hundreds of jobs, and the current canal and bridges created an easier way to get to the Cape, or, for ships to avoid wrecking in treacherous Outer Cape waters. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees the canal, and 1,100 acres of federal land around it. It also operates the Advertisement Saltwater fishing is a popular pastime at the Cape Cod Canal. Ron Driscoll For a different look at history, a nature trail off the Capeside walking path in Bourne takes the curious to the That replica — as well as a train station used by President Grover Cleveland to get to his Bourne summer home known as Gray Gables, and a windmill that served as an art studio for 19th-century actor Joseph Jefferson — is open Thursdays through Sundays from mid-May to mid-October. While the grounds can be visited anytime, we found it's worth going inside the buildings for the full story, and hearing details from historians and interpreters. How to get to the paths and scenic views To view the canal from above, there are a couple of scenic overlooks off roads on both sides of the canal. To access restrooms and pathways, parking is available at multiple recreation areas. Signs helpfully point out that it's 1.25 miles from the Railroad Bridge in Buzzards Bay to the base of the Bourne Bridge, 3.25 miles from there to the Sagamore Bridge, then 2 (south side) or 2.5 (north side) miles more to the canal's east end in Sandwich. The large Advertisement Two miles east on the mainland side's canal path, Pathways along both sides of the canal, with the mainland side ending at Buzzards Bay Recreation Area, are popular with walkers, cyclists, runners, and roller-bladers. Ron Driscoll Yes, you can go to the beach While there's no swimming in the canal, there are sandy beaches on both sides in Sandwich as the canal meets Cape Cod Bay. The largest — just a few minutes drive east from traffic at the Sagamore Bridge on the mainland side — is the 1.5-mile stretch of Across the canal is Sandwich-owned First Beach, which is sandy by its breakwater, but becomes rocky farther on. The rocks could be worth traversing, though, for those who want to get to the Cape location of Advertisement On the Bourne end, town-owned Where to sleep canalside For those who want to spend their nights right along the waterway, there are two camping areas, with land rented from the Army Corps. The nearly 75-year-old Getting out on the water, or railroad bridge For boaters, there are various rules, tides, and details it's important to know before trying to traverse the canal. If, like us, you don't own a boat, it's still possible to get out on canal waters. Advertisement Hy-Line's two- and three-hour canal cruises run from mid-May to mid-September, and offer views, snacks, and a guided history lesson. From May through Labor Day weekend, Hy-Line also has music cruises (including yacht rock and family tunes), a sunset cocktail cruise, and ones featuring musical bingo or trivia. For those who prefer to stay on land, If you don't feel like bringing your own food for a picnic, there are three seafood restaurants — While July and August are the busiest times on the Cape, canalside activities can be enjoyed for much of the year as a diversion from traffic or part of a destination on its own. Morrill says beautiful fall weather makes it one of the busiest times at
Axios
6 days ago
- Axios
Denver International Airport's newest restaurants
Denver International Airport has added 19 concessions so far this year, many of which are homegrown. Why it matters: The airport is expanding its "vibrant culinary concepts" with a focus on local flavor, says CEO Phil Washington. Zoom in: Among the latest Denver-centric additions: 🥢 Uncle — Well-known as one of the city's top ramen shops (gate A24). 🍸 Williams & Graham — This speakeasy-style cocktail bar is hidden behind a faux bookstore (gate A38). 🌽 Tocabe — A rare and standout Native American eatery, dishing up modern Indigenous cuisine (gate A38). 🥟 Maria Empanada — Beloved for its flaky, authentic Argentinian pastries (gate A24). 🍷 The Bindery — A restaurant, bakery and wine market serving New American cuisine (gate A24). 🥗 Olive & Finch "On the Fly" — A go-to for scratch-made salads, sandwiches and baked goods (gate A48). 🥖 Woody Creek Bakery & Café — A local staple for sandwiches and fresh-baked pastries (gate C46). 🥯 The Bagel Deli — A Jewish deli serving New York-style bagels in the city since 1967(gate A38).
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-perseid-meteor-shower-event-france-ASTROAUGUST0725-9651b20fbe714b7499d83d8f5c4cc66d.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
01-08-2025
- Travel + Leisure
August Has 7 Major Astronomical Events Including Meteor Showers and a Mercury Sighting
It's hard to beat a summer night beneath the stars, especially in August, when the shimmery Milky Way core is at its brightest. Late August also brings the return of the year's stronger-than-average northern lights season to high-latitude destinations like Iceland and Greenland, not to mention meteor shower peaks and striking planet-moon sightings. Here are the top sights to watch for in August's night sky, and don't forget to head to a dark-sky park or stargazing hotel for the best view. The Eta Eridanid meteor shower will peak overnight from Aug. 7 to Aug. 8. While this isn't the most prolific meteor shower, it's worth watching for in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 8, especially since it coincides with the active Perseids. The spectacle produces about three meteors per hour; look for its shooting stars near the Eridanus constellation, which hangs low in the southeast sky August's full sturgeon moon will glow in the southeast skies on Aug. 9, with Saturn nearby to the east. Native American fishing tribes gave this moon its name, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. While you can see it throughout the night, it's best to watch during moonrise — roughly an hour after sunset — when the lunar orb appears larger than normal thanks to the moon illusion. Around 11 p.m. local time, the waning gibbous moon and Saturn will inch above the eastern horizon, then tango together through the sky until dawn. Neptune, which hovers just above Saturn, is joining the fun, but you'll need a telescope to see it. Early the mornings of Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, Venus and Jupiter—two of the night sky's brightest planets—will appear within roughly one degree, or about a pinky-finger distance, of each other. The planets will pair up in the eastern sky around 3 a.m. local time; they'll continue to climb heavenward until sunrise. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most celebrated astronomical events, and this year, it will reach its peak overnight from Aug. 12 to Aug. 13, according to stargazing app SkySafari. The luminous waning gibbous moon will make viewing tricky, but it's still worth heading out. The Perseids is known to produce bright meteors and even fireballs that will shine through the bright lunar light. For optimal viewing, watch above the eastern sky after midnight into the early morning hours. Mercury orbits close to the sun, so it's typically tough to view the swift planet, but that changes come Aug. 19. This morning, Mercury will reach its farthest distance from the sun, giving stargazers around an hour of spectacular planet-gazing before sunrise. Watch for Mercury, as well as Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon, above the eastern horizon. You can catch the trio aligned in the morning sky for about a week after Aug. 19, too. See the sliver of a crescent moon and orange-tinged Mars couple up near the western horizon in the evening hours of Aug. 26. You won't have much time to admire the duo—they set around an hour after sunset—but if you do stay out for all-night stargazing, you'll be treated with more planet alignments just before dawn.
