The strawberry moon of June 2023 sets just before sunrise behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City. This year’s strawberry moon — the first full moon of the summer — will rise Monday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
The strawberry moon, which is June’s full moon and the first full moon of summer, rises Monday evening, showcasing one of the most eye-catching lunar phenomena of the year.
The moon officially will reach its full phase and peak brightness at 7:57 p.m. EDT Monday, but it will appear full for several days after, Space.com reported.
It will be the lowest hanging full moon of the year — at least in the Northern Hemisphere. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the highest.) This occurs because it’s the closest to the summer solstice, when the sun appears highest in the sky, with the moon following the opposite path and appearing lowest.
The strawberry moon is also the day after apogee, which is the point the moon is farthest from Earth, CNN reported. Full moons near apogee are often called micromoons. But while the full moon will be one of the smallest of the year, the difference will likely not be noticeable, Pamela Gay of the Planetary Science Institute told CNN.
In fact, the moon may appear larger than usual when near the horizon. This is because of an illusion that occurs when it’s observed against distant landscape features, Space.com said.
The June full moon’s name comes from the strawberry-harvesting season traditionally observed by Native American Algonquin tribes. It may appear to change to a golden color because a moon lower on the horizon reflects light through a thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere, leading viewers to predominantly see warmer colors.
Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said those who want a good view of the strawberry moon should find a dark space outdoors free of obstructions that would block their view.
“We’re about to send humans back to the moon with Artemis,”Petro told CNN. “In a couple years, we’ll have astronauts landing on the moon. Now is the time to start building up that relationship with the moon. And the easiest way to do that is just to go out and look up.”
The other full moons of summer 2026 are the Buck Moon on July 29 and Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 28.
Artemis II crew returns to Earth
NASA’s Orion spacecraft, with the four-member Artemis II crew aboard, is seen under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday after its nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI | License Photo
