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From lunar eclipses to partial solar eclipses to giant moons, 2021 has been a great year for lunar events. But this month marks the last supermoon of the year, with a full “strawberry” moon lighting up the night sky next week.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit, known as perigee. It appears slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon. However, scientists have not yet agreed on how to classify the phenomenon officially, so there is some dispute over whether the June moon is considered a supermoon.
“For 2021, some publications consider the four full moons from March to June, some three full moons from April to June, and some only the two full moons in April and May are giant moons,” NASA’s Gordon Johnston said.
The full moon of June is often called the strawberry moon, given the Native American tribes’ names for strawberries that are harvested in parts of North America during this time of year, according to the grower’s almanac. Unfortunately, the color of the moon will not match its name.
The strawberry moon is seen during the Penumbral lunar eclipse over the sky over the city of Bekasi, West Java Province on June 6, 2020. Aditya Irawan / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The strawberry moon usually represents the last full moon of spring or the first of summer. The farmer’s almanac said it was also called the flowering moon, green corn moon, hoer moon, birth moon, egg-laying moon and hatching moon, honey moon and mead moon.
The phrase “honeymoon” may be associated with this full moon, perhaps because of the tradition of marrying in June or because the “honeymoon” is the “sweetest” moon of the year.
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The full moon will reach peak illumination on Thursday, June 24, at 2:40 p.m. ET, but will not be visible until it rises above the horizon later that evening. It will look full for about three days at this time, from about Wednesday morning through Saturday morning.
You can find exact moonrise and sunset times for your location from timeanddate.com.
Do not have a clear view of the celestial event from your site? Watch it live from the comfort of your home instead, with the Virtual Telescope Project livestreaming the moon over Rome on June 24, starting at 3 p.m. ET.
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