This Friday, the “Strawberry Moon”, a captivating name for June’s full moon, reaches its peak illumination. This celestial event coincides perfectly with the arrival of the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere!
Mark your calendars! This day marks the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
As Fast Company points out, it’s a clear sign summer has officially arrived – even if the heatwave hasn’t tipped you off already! The Earth’s north axis reaches its maximum tilt towards the sun, giving us those extra hours of sunshine to soak up.
Why does the full moon take place?
This Friday night, skywatchers will be treated to the “Strawberry Moon,” June’s full moon, which peaks at 9:08 PM ET. The Moon goes through eight distinct phases throughout its journey around Earth.
These phases occur because the amount of the Moon’s surface illuminated by the Sun, and subsequently visible from Earth, constantly changes. So get ready to witness this fascinating celestial event!
Ever wondered why the Moon appears completely round and bright during a full moon? It might seem counterintuitive, but this fullness occurs when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, with Earth nestled right in between! Because the Sun’s rays hit the entire side facing us, the Moon reflects all that light, creating the spectacular full moon we know and love.
The Moon goes around the Earth in 29.5 days. That’s pretty close to what we call a month.
When we get two full moons in one month, people call it a blue moon. This doesn’t happen often – only about every 33 months. That’s where the saying “once in a blue moon” comes from, meaning something that doesn’t happen very often.
June’s full moon has a special name – the Strawberry Moon. Nasa talked about this in a blog post recently. What’s cool is that this year, it’s happening on the first day of summer. That hasn’t happened in 40 years!
