Strawberry Moon in pictures as spectacle lights up Scottish skies for last time until 2043
Scots captured breathtaking photos of the super-rare cosmic event that we were lucky to see this week
A rare cosmic event took place in Scotland this week - and residents across the country were there to capture it. This year's Strawberry Moon won't be seen again for decades, after coinciding with an exciting night sky event.
Although we see a Full Moon most months, June's Full Moon was extra special because it was the lowest it's been in the sky since 2006. It won't appear like that for a long time due to the 'major lunar standstill'.
This is an event that occurs once every 18.6 years. To explain, across its 20-year-long cycle, the Moon follows a tilted orbit around Earth. Major and minor lunar standstills happen when the Moon rises and sets at its most extreme points on the horizon, appearing unusually low or high in the sky.
During this Moon, Earth approached its farthest distance from the Sun in its orbit. The Moon was as far from the Sun as it possibly could have been in its orbit around Earth, in one of the furthest full Moons from the Sun of the year.
The term 'Strawberry Moon' is said to have originated from Native American tribes, in particular the Algonquin tribe. This Full Moon marked the beginning of strawberry season in north-eastern parts of North America.
Astronomy
The Strawberry Moon rose on June 11 at 10.46pm BST, and reached its full phase at 8.44am BST.
The Strawberry Moon reached its full lunar phase at around 4.45am - sunrise - on June 11.
The best time to catch the bright balled spectacle would have been at dusk on Tuesday (June 10).
Scots also got a chance to catch a glimpse of it on Wednesday night, too, though, when the Moon appeared full.
What's more, while the Moon was out in full force on this day, it was visibly close to Antares, meaning Mars' rival, which is the brightest star in the Scorpio constellation in the nights leading up to the Full Moon's grand debut.
This gave sky gazers ample time to view the lunar standstill. And they certainly made the most of it.
Scots up and down the country, from north to south, got their cameras out and headed for the hills to experience the unique phenomenon. Folks who wanted to stay local also caught sight of it from their windows and gardens.
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The opportunity came at the right time weather-wise, as the Met Office has now slapped Scotland with a "danger to life" thunderstorm warning this weekend. As a result, power cuts and deep flood water could pose a serious risk.
Before the Strawberry Moon appeared, weather conditions were much more favourable.
The national forecaster warned beforehand that "clear spells would provide good viewing chances".
Read on for incredible photos of the Strawberry Moon taken by Scots who kindly shared them with the Record.
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