Strawberry moon will rise over California soon — and it’ll be ‘bigger than ever’
A strawberry moon will rise in the sky over California this week, following the summer solstice.
It will appear at 6:07 p.m. on Friday, according to TimeAndDate.com, which advertises itself as the “world’s top site for time, time zones and astronomy.”
The occurrence of the strawberry moon typically coincides with the summer solstice — the first day of summer.
This year, summer officially starts on Thursday.
What is a strawberry moon? Is it red?
The strawberry moon is the first full moon in June.
This year’s strawberry moon will be the lowest full moon in years, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
This will result in the moon looking “bigger than ever,” the almanac said.
Despite its name, the strawberry moon does not share characteristics of the sweet red berry, and does not look pink or red.
“The full moon usually is our brightest night,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said. “This month, it ascends so little that the thick horizon air will paint it yellow or orange and subdue its light.”
How did first full moon in June get its name?
According to TimeAndDate.com,, the strawberry moon was named after the wild strawberries that begin to ripen in the early summer.
This moon is also referred to as the rose moon or hot moon.
Moon names originate from Native American tribes, as well as Colonial American and European sources, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
“Historically, names for the full or new moons were used to track the seasons,” the almanac said. “Today, we think of moon names as ‘nicknames’ for the moon.”
According to the almanac, the name “strawberry moon” was used by the Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States.
The Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota tribes also used the name to mark the full moon that coincided with the ripening of strawberries.
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