It's time for another noteworthy celestial event. Be sure to cast your gaze toward the sky for 2019's Strawberry Moon. And for the keen-eyed, there's a heavenly bonus with a prominent appearance from one of our fellow planets. The moon isn't going to actually look like a big, round strawberry. That's because, in North America, the name comes from the Algonquin tribes of Native Americans. This full moon was their sign to harvest wild strawberries, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. This moon has other names in other parts of the world. In Europe, you may hear it called the Honey Moon, Mead Moon, or the Full Rose Moon. In the Southern Hemisphere, it can go by Oak Moon, Cold Moon, or Long Night Moon, according to EarthSky.org.
The best time to see.
In the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, that will happen at 4:30 a.m. Monday, June 17. On the West Coast with Pacific Time, the peak will be 1:30 a.m. On the other side of the globe, New Delhi, India, will see a peak time of 2 p.m. But remember, peak time doesn't mean your only viewing time. As The Old Farmer's Almanac points out, the moon will appear full to viewers on Father's Day (Sunday, June 16) shortly after sunset.Special guest
You may notice a bright object floating just above the moon. That will be not a star, but Jupiter. The solar system's largest planet actually made its closest approach to Earth in 2019 back on June 10, but it's still showing prominently in the night sky. Even ordinary binoculars should yield impressive viewing results.What's next
For those who like to follow earthly and celestial events, we've got the summer solstice coming up in just a few days on Friday, June 21. And the next full moon after the Strawberry is the Full Buck Moon on July 16.What is the meaning behind the Strawberry Moon’s name?
Each of the 12 Full Moon phases during the year has a unique name tied to the seasonal changes in the landscape. For example, the May Flower Moon is named after the blooming flowers around this time of year. The Strawberry Moon owes its name to the Algonquin tribes in northeastern America and wild strawberries ripening around this time of summer.NASA’s Gordon Johnston said, Europeans also called this the Rose Moon. Some believe this name comes from the color of the Full Moon at this time of year. The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is almost in the same plane as the orbit of the Earth around the Sun only about five degrees off.
When the Sun appears highest in the sky near the summer solstice, the Full Moon opposite the Sun generally appears lowest in the sky. For Europe in particular, the NASA astronomer said the Moon might take on a reddish or pink hue. The Strawberry Moon is also sometimes known as the Honey Moon or the Mead Moon. This tasty-sounding name might be linked to the honey harvest, which typically took place after the Summer Solstice in June.
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