A “Strawberry Moon” rose over Earth last night, when a phenomenon known as a ‘major lunar standstill’ caused the full moon to hang lower in the sky than it had done in almost two decades.
June’s full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because wild strawberries ripen this time of year in parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The full moon hangs lower in June than at any other time of the year. However, this year’s Strawberry Moon was particularly low because of the major lunar standstill, or lunistice.
A major lunar standstill is when the tilts of the Earth and moon are at their maximums, causing the moon to periodically rise and set at extreme positions on the horizon due to the shifting tilt of its orbit. Last night, the major lunar standstill brought the moon to its most southerly position on the eastern horizon. The last time the moon was this low was in 2006.
The extra-low Strawberry Moon was visible from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning (June 10 to 11), with skywatchers worldwide lifting their cameras to mark the event. Live Science has rounded up some stunning snaps of the rare lunar event.
This image shows the full moon rising over the Torre del Serpe in Otranto, Italy. While the June full moon is named after strawberries, it doesn’t necessarily appear as a different color, like it does during a “blood moon,” when Earth’s natural satellite takes on a blood-like hue. However, Strawberry Moons typically have a bit of color because they’re so close to the horizon.
The Strawberry Moon often takes on a yellow-orange tint when it’s low in the sky, as Earth’s atmosphere scatters shorter, bluer light wavelengths, enabling redder ones to dominate. In New York, photographer Gary Hershorn captured the Strawberry Moon looking particularly orange as it passed by the tip of the Empire State Building.
Skywatchers around the world looked up last night to see the Strawberry Moon. In Ankara, Turkey, a photographer snapped a photo of people holding hands as they observed the rare lunar event.
In Iraq, a photographer took a stunning image of a violinist playing as the full Strawberry Moon rose behind him on the horizon.
In Uruguay, a photographer captured the moon hanging over the Centenario Stadium in the country’s capital city of Montevideo. The photo was taken before a soccer game between Uruguay and Venezuela.
Why is it called the Strawberry Moon?
The Strawberry Moon’s name came from the Algonquin tribes of the northeastern U.S.. Other Native American names for the moon include the Berries Ripen Moon, Green Corn Moon, Hot Moon and Blooming Moon.
This Strawberry Moon fell in the second year of the major lunar standstill, which happens every 18.6 years and lasts for two years each time. The last major lunar standstill was in 2006, and the next one will be in 2043.
Moon quiz: What do you know about our nearest celestial neighbor?
