This Week's 'Strawberry Moon' Will Look Wildly Different, Here's Why
This month's full moon, nicknamed the "Strawberry Moon," won't just mark the start of berry season. Thanks to a rare orbital alignment, it will appear unusually low in the sky, making it the lowest full moon most of us will see in our lifetime.
If you glance toward the horizon on the evening of June 10, you'll witness something you won't see again until 2043. The last time this happened was in 2006, according to Space.com. This rare celestial event peaks this week, and you won't see another like it for 18 years.
While the official peak occurs at 7:44 GMT on June 11 (that's 3:44 a.m. EDT), the best time to view it is the night before—when the full lunar disk rises just after sunset. The closer it hovers to the horizon, the more dramatic the 'moon illusion' becomes, making the moon appear larger and more golden than it actually is.
The name "Strawberry Moon" has Native American roots, given by the Algonquian tribes to signal the short strawberry harvest. But this year, it's not the name that's getting attention—it's the moon's altitude. This full moon coincides with what astronomers call a 'major lunar standstill,' an 18.6-year cycle where the moon rises and sets at extreme points along the horizon.
Because this event happens near the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere—when the sun takes its highest arc—the moon takes the opposite path. That means the "Strawberry Moon" will skim the horizon in an unusually low arc. For many viewers, especially those in northern latitudes, it will never climb far above treetop level.
Want to see it? Find a wide, unobstructed view of the southeastern horizon and be outside just after sunset on June 10. Bring a camera because if you don't, you'll be waiting a long time to catch another moon like it.This Week's 'Strawberry Moon' Will Look Wildly Different, Here's Why first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
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