June's full moon: Why the strawberry moon is so unique this week

A group of phenomena will make June’s full moon, known as the “strawberry moon,” live up to its name while also providing a unique spectacle.

The full moon is set to rise in the night sky on Tuesday and into the morning of Wednesday, and will be noteworthy in several ways.

Why is it called the ‘strawberry moon’?

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the term "strawberry moon" originated with the Algonquin tribes of North America, who named the moon after the time of year in which it rose, which often coincided with the time that wild strawberries were ripe and ready to be gathered.

Europeans typically used the names "honey moon" or "mead moon," according to the publication.

What makes this month’s ‘strawberry moon’ special?

Just like the sun, the moon typically rises and sinks in its path across the sky as part of seasonal changes. The sun drops on the horizon during the fall and winter months, reaching its lowest point at the winter solstice, and the moon does roughly the same thing in reverse, reaching its lowest point near the summer solstice.

In addition to those yearly changes, the moon’s orbit is also impacted by the gravity of the sun in specific ways, with the moon being “dragged” up and down in its orbit by that force.

That gravity exerts its effects on the moon in an 18.6-year cycle according to astronomers at Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory, and the moon is currently in what is known as a “Major Lunar Standstill,” which began in 2024 and reached its peak earlier this year.

As a result of that “Standstill,” the arc of the moon’s path across the sky will be dragged even lower than usual, meaning that this month’s full moon will be the lowest-appearing “Strawberry Moon” that we’ll have seen since 2006, according EarthSky.

In fact, the moon’s arc will be the shallowest we’ll see for a “Strawberry Moon” until 2043.

Since the moon will be appearing so low on the horizon, it could even help to make the “Strawberry Moon” moniker more accurate than usual. Since the moon will be visible through more layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, colors that travel in longer wavelengths will be more distinct and visible, and that list of colors includes red and orange.

As a result, the ‘Strawberry Moon’ could appear to be redder than usual, adding an appropriate twist to the phenomenon.

When will the full moon be visible in the sky?

According to Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon will reach full illumination at 3:44 a.m. EST/2:44 a.m. CDT on Wednesday.