Skywatchers will have a chance to see the first full moon of summer Monday night as June’s Strawberry Moon rises with a warm golden glow. The full moon will reach peak illumination at 6:57 p.m. CDT on June 29, just days after the summer solstice, when the moon sits opposite the sun and appears fully illuminated from Earth.
Viewing the Strawberry Moon
Although the moon officially becomes full at that moment, it will appear bright and nearly full for a night or two before and after its peak. Despite its name, the Strawberry Moon will not appear pink or red. The name comes from Native American tribes who associated June’s full moon with the short strawberry-harvesting season.
For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, this year’s Strawberry Moon will follow the lowest path across the sky of any full moon in 2026. Skywatchers should look toward the eastern horizon shortly after sunset to watch the moon rise among the stars of the constellation Sagittarius.
This year’s Strawberry Moon also qualifies as a “micromoon.” The moon reaches full phase just one day after apogee, the point in its orbit when it is farthest from Earth. Because of that timing, June’s full moon will be the second-smallest full moon of 2026.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
