June's strawberry moon will be lowest in the sky since 2006
This full moon is an extra special one, too. It will be the lowest in the sky since 2006. Be sure to look for it the next two nights to see if you notice a difference.
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The full moon for the month of June is here.
It’s known as the strawberry moon due to all those delicious strawberries that are now in season.
This full moon is an extra special one, too. It will be the lowest in the sky since 2006. Be sure to look for it the next two nights to see if you notice a difference.
Both the sun and the moon experience seasonal changes in their altitude in the sky.
The full moons that happen closer to the summer solstice are always a little lower than the ones in the winter.
This is due to the Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt. Tonight’s moon will take a path across the sky that is similar to the one the sun takes in the winter.
This time, the moon will be extra low and that’s because we are also in a Major Lunar Standstill.
A Major Lunar Standstill is an orbital event that occurs every 18.6 years.
It has to do with how the Moon orbits the Earth and the gravitational pull of the Sun.
Every 18.6 years, the moon reaches extremes in its tilted orbit.
This shows up as rises and sets farther north or south along the horizon. This month, the moon will rise at its southernmost point and make a low pass through the night sky. The last time it was this low was back in January of 2006.
