Summer is about to kick off with a bright start. This month's full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, will be at its fullest on Friday, June 21 — one day after the summer solstice — and will shine in the constellation Sagittarius. The moon will also appear bright and full on Thursday (June 20) and Saturday (June 22).
The full moon's closeness to the date of the solstice, or the start of the astronomical summer, has a noticeable visual effect. Since a full moon sits opposite the sun relative to Earth, it mirrors the sun's position in the sky. In June — and particularly close to the solstice — the sun is at its highest of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Its position at midday on the solstice, on June 20 this year, is the highest it ever gets. That makes the full moon the following day the lowest of the year.
It's also the farthest full moon from the sun of the year. That's because the Earth's slightly elliptical orbit of the sun takes it farthest away on July 5. That point is Earth's annual aphelion. Therefore, the closest full moon to that date must be the moon's annual aphelion.
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According to Timeanddate.com, the Strawberry Moon, which has Native American origins, gets its name from the wild strawberries that ripen this month. Other Native American names for June's full moon include the Berries Ripen Moon, Green Corn Moon and Hot Moon. Anishinaabeg, or Ojibwe, Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region know it as Waabigonii Giizis (Blooming Moon), according to the Center for Native American Studies.
The Celtic names for the June full moon are Horse Moon, Dyan Moon and Rose Moon, while other English names include Flower Moon, Planting Moon and Mead Moon.
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From North America, the best time to watch the full moon will be Friday, when it rises in the east very close to sunset. Check the moonrise and moonset times for your location, and find a place with a low view of the eastern horizon. The next full moon will be the "Buck Moon" on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
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Jamie Carter
Live Science contributor
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, U.K. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine and Scientific American, and many others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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