Strawberry Moon Near Full Phase to Illuminate the Night Sky This Wednesday

Skywatchers will have the chance this week to witness a nearly full moon with a distinctive reddish tint—known as the 'Strawberry Moon' in June—occurring when the moon sits low on the southern horizon.

This summer’s reddish coloration is particularly vivid because the moon is at its lowest southern horizon position in approximately 19 years.

The reddish hues of the Strawberry Moon were visible Tuesday night, reaching its peak brightness early Wednesday morning around 4 a.m. Eastern Time.

Here is what it looked like:

Each Full Moon Carries a Unique Name

Folklore attributes the name 'Strawberry Moon' to the Algonquin Native American tribes, who marked the strawberry harvest season with this title. In some European traditions, the June full moon is also called the 'Rose Moon.'

"Most traditional full moon names originate from Native American usage, though some, like the December 'Moon Before Yule'—a nod to Christmas—are clearly European in origin," explained James Lattis, an astronomy historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Moon Won’t Reach Such a Low Southern Horizon Position for Another 19 Years

Summer full moons in the Northern Hemisphere appear lower in the sky compared to winter full moons, which gives them a warmer, reddish tone, Lattis noted. This effect is caused by the moon’s light passing through more of Earth’s atmosphere, similar to the colors seen at sunrise or sunset.

"Looking straight up, there’s less atmospheric interference," he said. "But near the horizon, the moonlight travels through a thicker layer of atmosphere, resulting in the reddish appearance."

The Strawberry Moon Will Remain Visually Full for Observers Wednesday Night

Lattis mentioned observing the moon Tuesday night in Wisconsin, where its pinkish hue was accentuated by smoke from nearby wildfires. He cautioned that the visual effect may vary depending on location.

"While I don’t want to discourage people from stepping outside to see it—it’s a remarkable sight—sometimes, if you don’t have a reason, you might skip it," he said. "But essentially, it’s just another full moon."