Latest news with #RicharddeGrijs
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘Strawberry Moon' will soar to heights not seen in nearly 20 years
From meteors to the southern lights, Australian skies have already had their fair share of activity this month, but we're in for another treat. The June full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, will reach full strength on Wednesday evening, and a once-in-every-19-year phenomenon will see it reach the highest possible point in the southern sky. Here's what you need to know. What is a Strawberry Moon? It's a name given to the June full moon because its timing lines up with the start of the strawberry harvest in the north-eastern United States. 'Every month the full moon has a certain name, most of which go back to Native American tradition,' Macquarie University professor of astrophysics Richard de Grijs said. 'In the southern hemisphere, it's offset by half a year. So at the moment in the northern hemisphere the full moon is called the Strawberry Moon, but here it would be called the cold moon because you're in the middle of winter.' Naming semantics aside, in June, the full moon falls closest to the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. In 2024, the Strawberry Moon fell on the date of the solstice. This year, it's just over a week off, with the southern hemisphere's winter solstice falling on June 21.
The Age
4 days ago
- Science
- The Age
The ‘Strawberry Moon' will soar to heights not seen in nearly 20 years
From meteors to the southern lights, Australian skies have already had their fair share of activity this month, but we're in for another treat. The June full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, will reach full strength on Wednesday evening, and a once-in-every-19-year phenomenon will see it reach the highest possible point in the southern sky. Here's what you need to know. What is a Strawberry Moon? It's a name given to the June full moon because its timing lines up with the start of the strawberry harvest in the north-eastern United States. 'Every month the full moon has a certain name, most of which go back to Native American tradition,' Macquarie University professor of astrophysics Richard de Grijs said. 'In the southern hemisphere, it's offset by half a year. So at the moment in the northern hemisphere the full moon is called the Strawberry Moon, but here it would be called the cold moon because you're in the middle of winter.' Naming semantics aside, in June, the full moon falls closest to the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. In 2024, the Strawberry Moon fell on the date of the solstice. This year, it's just over a week off, with the southern hemisphere's winter solstice falling on June 21.
