The Strawberry Moon phenomenon coincides with the summer solstice, a fascinating astronomical event occurring for the first time in 50 years, appearing today.
Depending on the time zone and location on Earth, people around the world have the opportunity to witness a full moon on the same day as the summer solstice on June 20. According to National Geographic, this marks the first full moon on the summer solstice since 1967. In that year, the summer solstice and full moon occurred only a few hours apart but fell on different days due to time zone differences.
This year, the summer solstice officially begins at 6:34 PM on June 20 (EDT), which is 5:34 AM on June 21 (Hanoi time). Simultaneously, the Strawberry Moon will rise in the east after sunset in the west, casting light throughout the night and appearing as a round disk.
The full moon phenomenon observed in Berlin, Germany. (Photo: Twitter German Foreign Office).
This year, the moon will reach its full phase at 7:02 AM on June 20 (UTC), which is 6:02 AM on June 21 (Hanoi time). Therefore, the two events are 12 hours apart. In 1948, the summer solstice and full moon occurred almost simultaneously, less than an hour apart.
For people in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice marks the time when the Earth’s northern axis tilts toward the sun, creating the longest days and shortest nights of the year. At the same time, the southern axis of the Earth tilts away from the sun, signaling the onset of winter with shorter days and longer nights. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is the day when daytime is longest and nighttime is shortest, in contrast to the Southern Hemisphere.
The Strawberry Moon, also known as the full moon, is one of the moon’s phases. During this time, the hemisphere of the moon facing Earth is fully illuminated by the sun, appearing as a round disk.
The name Strawberry Moon originates from the Algonquin tribe in Long Island, New York, USA. June marks the beginning of strawberry harvesting season, so any full moon during this time is named after the fruit.
