Met Office's weather outlook on catching Strawberry Moon tonight for last time until 2043
The rare celestial event will be visible this week in Scotland but the weather will decide if you see it or not
A super-rare cosmic event is coming to Scotland, as the June Full Moon will be at a record low on the horizon. This year's Strawberry Moon won't be seen again until 2043, due to a night sky event called the 'major lunar standstill'.
Although we see a Full Moon roughly every month, there are a few events occurring this week that make June's Full Moon extra special, including its proximity to a certain super-bright star.
The Strawberry Moon will rise on June 11 at 10.46pm BST, and reach its full phase at 8.44am BST. On whether the sky will be clear enough to catch it, the Met Office has issued the weather outlook for this unusual celestial occurrence.
"The Strawberry Full Moon rises tonight," a spokesperson for the national forecaster said.
"The name refers to the strawberry harvest undertaken by indigenous Americans in June.
"But it could in fact have a reddish tint because it will appear low in the sky, close to the horizon."
Elaborating further, the weather agency confirmed: " Clear spells will provide good viewing chances.
"Wednesday gets off to a bright start for most with a good amount of sunshine.
"Cloud will be slightly more present out towards the west, with spots of rain possible for northwest Scotland."
Into the evening, showers will begin to affect the west, "with a more organised band of thundery rain following overnight." However elsewhere will remain dry, and it will be a warm night for many.
The Strawberry Moon reached its full lunar phase at around 4.45am - sunrise - on June 11.
And the best time to catch the bright balled spectacle would have been at dusk on Tuesday (June 10).
Scots shouldn't be disheartened, though. The Moon will appear full on Wednesday night, too, giving sky gazers ample time to view the lunar standstill. And it has arrived at the right time, as T Thursday will usher in thunderstorms.
This would have made the Moon increasingly harder to see. In fact, when the Moon disappears, rain, heavy at times, will move in, continuing to head north and east throughout the day, shrouding any chance of lunar spectacles.
Aside from all this, it is important to note that the Moon won't appear strawberry bright red or pink, so don't be disappointed.
The June Full Moon does sit particularly low in the sky, though, and its closeness to the horizon can sometimes give it a reddish glow.
What's more, while the Moon is officially full on June Wednesday, June 11, it will be visible close to Antares, meaning Mars' rival, which is the brightest star in the Scorpio constellation in the nights leading up to the Full Moon.
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