Get Outside and Spot June's Strawberry Moon This Week
Your best chance to see the strawberry moon will be early on June 11, with the fullest possible moon not visible until 3:46 a.m. according to The Farmer's Almanac. It'll be only slightly less full on both June 10 and June 12.
Since it is a mini-moon, it'll also appear to be smaller and dimmer than a normal full moon. Anyone who caught one of four supermoons in 2024 will be able to spot the stark contrast between a supermoon and a mini-moon. During a supermoon, the moon is as close to the Earth as its orbit allows, a phenomenon known as perigee.
For a mini-moon, the moon is as far away from Earth as it can get, a phenomenon called apogee. It's a little less exciting than a supermoon, but for context, it's neat to know how dim and small the moon can get compared to how big and bright it can get during a supermoon.
The major lunar standstill
The strawberry moon is part of what's called a major lunar standstill. This occurs once every 18.6 years when the moon's orbit aligns just right with the Earth's tilt. As most astronomers can tell you, the moon rises and sets from different points of the horizon based on the time of year, the Earth's tilt, and the moon's orbit.
In short, the path the moon is taking through the sky is as long as it's going to get. This phenomenon isn't specific to June 2025. In fact, people will be able to view this phenomenon for most of the year. However, once it's gone, it'll be 18.6 years before it shows up again.
Another interesting tidbit about major lunar standstills is that the moon will be rising and setting on parts of the horizon where the sun will never go. This was noted by researchers at English Heritage, who are currently studying the notion that Stonehenge lines up with this once-in-a-generation event.
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