June's Sky Spectacle: The Strawberry Moon and Beyond

The night sky in June has a lot to offer. The full moon, often called the strawberry moon, will be visible on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. It will be at its brightest at 3:44 a. m. ET on Wednesday. But the real show starts after sunset on Tuesday. The moon will be low in the east and will stay low in the west until sunrise on Wednesday. This is because of the summer solstice, which happens on June 20. During this time, the sun is higher in the sky, and the moon is closer to the horizon. They are on opposite sides of Earth. This year, the full moon will be the lowest seen from the Northern Hemisphere in a long time. This is due to something called a major lunar standstill. The moon's orbit changes over an 18. 6-year cycle because of the sun's gravity. During a standstill, the moon seems to pause in its usual movement, even though it's still orbiting. The last time this happened was in 2006. The name "strawberry moon" comes from indigenous tribes. They named it after the strawberries that ripen this time of year. Different tribes have different names for it, like the blackberry moon or the raspberry moon. But don't expect the moon to look like a berry. It's just a name. The strawberry moon won't be the only thing to see in June's night sky. The Milky Way's bright center will be visible. This happens every year from June to August. Look for a faint, hazy band in the sky. It's best seen away from city lights. Also, keep an eye out for planets. Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury will be low in the west after sunset. Venus will be bright in the eastern sky before sunrise. There are more full moons to look forward to in 2025. Three of them will be supermoons, which are bigger and brighter than usual. Also, there will be two eclipses. A lunar eclipse will be visible from many places around the world. A solar eclipse will be visible from remote areas. During a lunar eclipse, the moon can look red, which is why it's sometimes called a "blood moon. " During a solar eclipse, the moon blocks part of the sun, making it look like a crescent.