Full Moon: Here’s what you need to know about June’s Strawberry Moon

June’s full moon will be a special treat for skywatchers this weekend. According to the experts, the Strawberry moon will shine the brightest on Friday night and Saturday morning.

We reported back in May that full Flower Moon was the last supermoon of 2020 and only 361 184 kilometres from Earth. This weekend, the Strawberry Moon brings a penumbral lunar eclipse.

June’s Strawberry Moon fact sheet

According to Earth and Sky, the full moon “will be close to the red super-giant star Antares”, which is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius the Scorpion.

NASA reported that the moon’s exact moment of fullness will take place at 21:12 South African Standard Time (SAST), or 19:12 UTC and 15:12 EDT.

Why is it called Strawberry moon?

Moon names are derived from the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, first published in the 1930s. It uses Native American names for each month’s full moon. The Strawberry moon was named after the Algonquin tribes.

The name refers to the short season for harvesting strawberries in northeastern North America. Other names include Mead Moon, Honey Moon, and Rose Moon.

Mead – an alcoholic drink from days of yore – was created by fermenting honey mixed with water, fruits, spices, grains or hops, while Rose Moon is derived from the romantic connotations tied to this time of the year. According to NASA:

“A shrinking line-of-sight through planet Earth’s dense and dusty atmosphere shifted the moonlight from strawberry red through honey-coloured and paler yellowish hues. That change seems appropriate for a northern June Full Moon also known as the Strawberry or Honey Moon.”

How to see June’s full Moon

It’s really easy because you won’t need fancy equipment to see the full moon. Simply wait until it’s dark, head out and look up; the Strawberry moon will be visible to the naked eye.

If you can avoid some of the city’s light pollution, even better. The less light pollution, the brighter the moon will appear. The moon will be at its brightest at around 21:12 SAST on Friday.

So set your reminder and make sure you don’t miss it!

The penumbral lunar eclipse

The southern hemisphere will be in the good seats for this month lunar eclipse, which will be visible in its entirety in Africa and Australia, in addition to Central and Southern Asia.

During a penumbral eclipse, the moon is in Earth’s penumbral shadow. This creates a faint effect that you won’t notice until the moon is halfway in the Earth’s penumbra.

This type of eclipse is subtle and easy to miss. According to Space.com, the moon may appear blood-red due to the world’s sunrises and sunsets.

Tonight’s full moon and eclipse is also the start of an eclipse season. Two weeks after the Strawberry Moon, we’ll get to witness the “Ring of Fire” annular solar eclipse, and the Thunder Moon penumbral eclipse in July.

Also read: Eclipse season starts 5 June: Here’s what you need to know

When is the next full moon?

July’s full moon is known as the Buck Moon. The next lunar phase will start on 5 July 2020 from around 12:44 SAST. The name comes from the season when a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, it’s also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent in the northern hemisphere during July.