June’s Strawberry Moon Will Light Up the Skies on Tuesday Morning

Ricardo Bayerlein/iStock via Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

If you're looking for an outdoor activity to ring in the summer months, look up at the sky early Tuesday morning. As Newsweek reports, a strawberry moon—a.k.a. June's full moon—will reach peak visibility at approximately 7:52 a.m. EDT on the morning of Tuesday, June 14. Here's everything you need to know to catch the celestial event.

Why Is It Called a Strawberry Moon?

Each month's full moon has a special name that's tied to the time of year when it appears. June is the start of strawberry-picking season in parts of North America, which has earned it the sweet nickname among some Native American tribes. June's full moon is also known as the honey moon or the full rose moon in Europe.

Some years the strawberry moon marks the first full moon of summer, but the summer solstice is still one week away. In some parts of the country, warmer weather has already arrived, which makes the strawberry moon a great excuse to kick off your summer sky-gazing season early.

When to Watch the Strawberry Moon

In 2022, the strawberry moon will reach its fullest state on Tuesday morning, but could be spotted as early as today and remain visible through Wednesday morning.

The strawberry moon isn't pink as its name suggests, but it is the most colorful moon of the lunar calendar. Because it never rises too far above the horizon, its light gets filtered by more of the atmosphere, making it look orange or yellow from your backyard.