Do Not Miss Thursday’s Strawberry Moon Rising in the Sky

Posted: June 24, 2021 2:17 pm

Be sure to cast your eyes to the eastern skies on Thursday evening to catch a glimpse of the strawberry moon. This celestial beauty will rise as the sun begins to set below the horizon.

June Full Moon

June’s full moon is known as the strawberry moon thanks to the timing of the beginning of strawberry picking season. The name comes from the Algonquin tribes who used its appearance as a reminder to begin picking the sweet berry. While the name suggests a pinkish hue, the moon will actually look gold to most onlookers. The color largely depends on what is floating around in the atmosphere at the time of moonrise in your particular location.

The strawberry moon is the first full moon to occur after the summer solstice. Although the moon will appear large in the sky, it will still be farther away from Earth than the last three full moons. Thursday’s full moon will be the final full moon of 2021.

When to View

The best time to catch the moon will be during moonrise. This is when it will look its biggest and most colorful. If you look carefully, you may even be able to make out some of the unique features of the moon, including the peaks and valleys. The sun setting works to illuminate some of the most prominent features of the moon.

Although the moon will reach peak illumination during the middle of the afternoon, it will not be visible until it rises above the horizon. Because this moon traverses a low and shallow trajectory across the horizon, it appears to be the most colorful full moon of the year. The low arc also means that the moonlight must travel through a greater part of the Earth’s atmosphere, translating into the distinctive golden tint that this celestial event takes on.

Additional Names for Strawberry Moon

While the strawberry moon is the most used moniker for this full moon, “hot moon” is also popular because it traditionally signifies the start of summer. Other names for this moon include the “rose moon” because this is the time of the year when roses reach their peak bloom. Another fun moniker is the “honey moon” because of the popularity of June weddings.

It has been an extraordinary year for lunar events with this supermoon capping it all off. The term super moon is used to describe a full moon that is near its closest point to the Earth in the elliptical orbit. These types of full moons look slightly bigger and brighter than a normal full moon. It is important to note that the term supermoon is a loose definition that varies greatly between different organizations.

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