Prepare to watch the Full Strawberry Moon on June 24
May and June have been an absolute treat for skywatchers and astrophotographers. The northern hemisphere is in for another treat with the last (almost) supermoon of 2021 set to bathe the night sky in its glory on June 24. Called the Strawberry Moon (although not for its appearance), the full moon is celebrated as "Jyeshtha Purnima" in India. Here's the story behind its unique name.
Strawberry Moon is the first full moon after summer solstice
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, Strawberry Moon is the name given to the first full moon after the summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year. This year, it was on June 21 in the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer, at latitude 23.5 degrees north of the equator.
Strawberry Moon derives name from America's local strawberry crop ripening
The Old Farmer's Almanac explains that the Full Strawberry Moon earns its name from the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples of America that mark the ripening of June's strawberry crop with this celestial event. This last full moon of the American spring season and the first of summer marks the ripening of strawberries that are ready for harvest.
Strawberry Moon isn't actually a supermoon, but not by much
Additionally, the Full Strawberry Moon is also a marginal supermoon. A supermoon earns its name due to the moon's larger apparent size since it is closer to Earth at the time. Technically, a supermoon is less than 360,000 kilometers away from Earth. But the upcoming Strawberry Moon is 361,558 kilometers away, meaning it isn't a supermoon, but it would almost look like one.
June's full moon has other crop-related names in other cultures
BGR reported that other crop-related names for full moons in June include Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon, and Hoer Moon. Meanwhile, in some cultures the name is derived from animal-related events, for example, Birth Moon, Egg Laying Moon, and Hatching Moon. In European cultures, the June full moon is called the Honey Moon or Mead Moon.
