Strawberry Moon 2024: Here's why the next Full Moon is different and most colorful

America will witness the strawberry full moon rising in the evening skies on Friday, June 21.

By Marita Pinto

Published on Jun 18, 2024 | 06:48 PM IST | 32.4K

Image Courtesy: NASA

Summer is about to begin with the brightest and most colorful full moon. According to NASA, one day after the summer solstice, on Friday, June 21, the Strawberry Moon, this month's full moon, will be at its brightest and will be visible in the constellation Sagittarius.

Why is June's Full Moon called Strawberry Moon?

According to Maine Farmer's Almanac, June's full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, a name given to the comparatively brief strawberry-harvesting season in the northeastern United States. Unfortunately, astronomers predict that although it might be golden in hue, it won't resemble a strawberry and it most likely won't be red.

According to the almanac, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota tribes, as well as Native American Algonquin groups living in the northeastern United States, have been using the strawberry moon to determine when to harvest ripe June strawberries. The mead or honey moon and the rose moon are other European names for the full moon in June.

The Old Farmer's Almanac stated since the June 2024 full moon occurs close to the solstice when the sun is at its highest point of the year, this month's full moon is the lowest full moon in years. The moon will appear larger than ever since it is so low. It is also termed a Moon Illusion.

When will the Strawberry Moon appear?

According to NASA's Gordon Johnston, this year's first full moon of the summer, the strawberry moon, will occur at 9:08 p.m. on Friday, June 21. At this time, though, the moon will appear full for roughly three days, from Thursday night through Sunday morning.

According to Bob Bonadurer, the director of the planetarium at the Milwaukee Public Museum, the strawberry moon is the most colorful of the year because it travels across the sky in a low, shallow path. A bonus is that moonlight must pass through more of Earth's atmosphere due to the June full moon's low arc across the sky, which frequently lends it an orange or yellow hue.

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