When to Watch Strawberry Moon, the Last Supermoon of 2021
If you are an avid astrologer, then June one was a very busy month of the year, which was otherwise very busy with celestial events. A solar eclipse, planetary conjunction, and an asteroid flying close enough to the planet have added to the pleasing cosmic intrigue as the days get warmer and longer.
However, as far as supermoons are concerned, the book will close soon in 2021 as the last supermoon of the year is poised to light up the sky later this week for three days, June 24-26. Usually the moon is given a nickname, this particular moon is called the strawberry supermoon, although unfortunately it won’t be strawberry hue.
How to see the strawberry supermoon
This is either the last spring full moon or the first summer full moon, depending on your seasonal preference. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, this moon derives its name from various Native American tribes who associate this time of year with certain “June” fruits such as strawberries (at least in some parts of North America). Every 20 years, the Strawberry Moon coincides with the summer solstice, which is a beautiful cosmic coincidence.
The June full moon has received other names to reflect the wider abundance of crops that are usually harvested when spring turns to summer.
As the Farmer’s Almanac notes :
The blooming moon (Anishinaabe) indicates the season of flowering, while the Green Corn Moon (Cherokee) and Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki) suggest it is time to start growing young crops.
This moon is nicknamed “super”, but it shouldn’t be as dramatic as April’s “Pink Supermoon” , which lives up to the name. The “supermoon” concept is a kind of pseudoscientific term meant to evoke a certain amount of anticipation, but technically it only happens when the Moon is within 90% of its perigee, which is the closest point to Earth within orbit. Supermoons are slightly brighter and larger than normal.
At the closest point, the Full Moon appears to be about 17 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than the dimmest Moon of the year when it is farthest from Earth in its orbit.
According to NASA, the Strawberry Moon will be at perigee at 5:56 AM ET on Wednesday, June 23rd. The space agency says the moon will appear the next day, June 24, at 2:40 pm ET, and will continue until Saturday.
The moon is relatively easy to see just by looking at the sky, but you have virtual resources at your disposal if you want to look at it through a computer or mobile device screen. The virtual telescope project features a live stream of the moonrise over Rome, which is probably a more romantic view than looking out your own window.