The Strawberry Moon is set to reach its peak in the early hours of Tuesday, 30 June, but skygazers in the UK will have two good chances to see it as a full Moon on Monday, 29 June and again the following evening.
That timing is why searches are spiking now: the Moon will be visible at night across the UK just as June’s full Moon rises, giving people a narrow window to catch the season’s first full Moon before the week moves on.
June’s full Moon is the lowest-hanging in the sky in the northern hemisphere, and that makes this one stand out even when the weather cooperates. When the Moon sits close to the horizon, the Moon illusion can make it look larger than it really is, so the view can feel more dramatic than the Moon itself actually is.
The name does not describe its colour. The Strawberry Moon is the full Moon in June, and it does not actually appear pink or red. Its name is linked to the time of year rather than the light it reflects, and it was tied to the harvest season observed by indigenous Americans, when wild strawberries were gathered.
Cloud and rain are likely to get in the way for some viewers on Monday night. Most of the unsettled weather is expected to affect Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, while the best chances of clear skies are across the Midlands, Wales and southern England. For people in those clearer areas, the moonrise should be the easiest chance to catch the Moon in full.
If that window closes, the next full Moons are already on the calendar. The Buck Moon is due on 29 July and the Sturgeon Moon follows on 28 August, both part of the old system of naming full Moons to keep track of time and changing seasons. For now, though, the Strawberry Moon is the one to watch, and Monday night may decide who gets a clean view of it.
