The full Strawberry Moon rises on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. This Strawberry Moon is a special treat because it isn’t an ordinary full moon, but a supermoon, appearing larger and brighter. Will it be pink? What is the true origin of the name, Strawberry Moon and what are some other June Moon names? Learn more.
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When to See the Full Moon in June 2022
In the evening of Tuesday, June 14—just after sunset—look towards the southeast to watch the full Moon rise gently above the horizon. There, it will appear large and golden-hued.
June’s full Moon will reach peak illumination at 7:52 A.M. Eastern Time on June 14, but will not be visible in North American time zones until later that night, when it drifts above the horizon. Consult the Almanac’s Moonrise and Moonset Calculator.
Because the Full Moon is an early morning, expect that the Moon will appear full for about three days centered on this time, from Sunday evening through Wednesday morning. See the Almanac’s Moon Phase Calendar.
A Strawberry “Supermoon”
This full Moon will be the second supermoon of 2022! This happens when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, presenting us with a larger, brighter full moon.
The common definition of a supermoon is any full Moon that is at a distance of at least 90% of perigee (which is the point at which the Moon is closest to Earth). June’s full Moon stands at 222,238.4 miles (357,658 km) away—comfortably within that cut-off point.
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Historically, names for the full or new Moons were used to track the seasons. Today, we think of Moon names as “nicknames” for the Moon. Learn more about Full Moon names here.
June’s full Moon—typically the last full Moon of spring or the first of summer—has traditionally been called the Strawberry Moon. While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance, despite the evocative imagery (shown in the artist rendering below). A Moon usually appears reddish when it it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of atmosphere.
This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used Native American Algonquin tribes that live the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of ”June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this natural as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.
Alternative June Moon Names
Many cultures over time have used different names for the 12 full moons experienced each year. Usually they’re not based on a color, but on a common activity that takes place that time of year.Â
Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe) is indicative of the flowering season, while Green Corn Moon (Cherokee) and Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki) suggest that it’s time to tend to young crops.
Other names highlight that this is a time of new life: The Tlingit have used the term Birth Moon, referring to the time when certain animals are born in their region (the Pacific Northwest). Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon are Cree terms that also hint at a time of many animal babies.
Alternative European names for this Moon include the Honey Moon and the Mead Moon. June was traditionally the month of marriages, and is even named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Following marriage comes the ”honeymoon,” which may be tied to this alternative Moon name!
My Aunt is the only person I've ever known who can tell that a full moon is on the way because 4 people on the same block are now engaged in 2 separate arguments. She comes in and asks "Is there a full moon? My reply "Only 2 days away and it's an important one, too!" Never known anyone else who could call it that close!!
My husband and I love the alerts on weather and astronomy from both Old Farmers Almanac and SpaceWeather.com. But it never fails: whenever there is something really interesting to see, it rains here on the north shore of Long island! Interesting conjuction? Very cloudy. One of the rare auroras we get to see now and then? Mizzling. Meteor shower? Drizzle. Full Strawberry Moon? Rain....
I wrote a "moon song" for the Inspiration in my life, my Mom, a few years ago, and every month I do a short video of the moon as I sing the short song. Last November I had my Mom right beside me while I sang her moon song and videotaped her. She was laughing with my sister in law Dianne and we had a lot of fun with it. This June 2017 Stawberry Full Moon found me singing the song once again on Thursday night since it was a clear night and I didn't want to risk not being able to view it for my video on Friday night. Living 1228 kms from where my Mom lives, I sang, "There's a full moon out tonight, and it's shining oh so bright. High up in the sky, in an almost starless night. There's a full moon out tonight, oh so round and full of light; And I say, Keep safe, stay well, I Love you Mom, Good night" Sadly, my beloved Mom passed away suddenly and tragically, so unexpectedly on Friday evening June 9, 2017. The moon, where I live those 1228 kms away, was hazy in its full form. I reached deep into my being to sing her my Moon Song again on this sorrowful night. "There's a full moon out tonight but it's not shedding it's full light. It's misty hazey partial light, is shedding tears for a loved one lost tonight. Beyond the moon and stars is where you will now shed you light so bright. Keep safe, to the ends of the Earth and back, I Love you Mom; Goodnight "
A loving, wonderful tribute to both you and your mother. Thank you for posting it.
Such a beautiful story & song.
Much love & light to you & yours.
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