A rare astronomical phenomenon that occurs every 20 years.. The “Strawberry Moon,” the first full moon of the summer, will adorn the sky on this date.

2024-06-19 2024-06-19T10:18:36Z

Arabia Weather - Coinciding with the date of the summer solstice, the sky will be decorated with the strawberry moon with its magical golden shine. It is the first full moon of the summer season and its name is linked to the strawberry season, as the harvest of this type of berry begins at this time of the year in the United States.

When can we see the full moon in June 2024?

The full moon will reach its peak this month on Friday, June 21, in the United States and surrounding areas, one day after the summer solstice, and will shine in the constellation Sagittarius. The moon will also appear bright and full on the nights of Thursday, June 20, and Saturday, June 22.

As for the skies of Jordan and the Arab region, and in a rare astronomical phenomenon, the June Moon, or “Strawberry Moon,” will adorn the morning and evening of next Saturday, according to the President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, Ammar Al-Sakkji.

Al-Sakkji added that the Strawberry Pink Moon will be full at 4:10 am on Saturday, June 22, 2024, Jordan time. The full moon sunset will continue until 5:21 am on the western horizon at an angle of 236 degrees. The moon will also rise again at 8:35 pm of the same day on the eastern horizon at an angle of 121 degrees, where it will appear in its beautiful orange color near the horizon.

The reason for the scarcity of the strawberry moon this month

The reason for the scarcity of the strawberry moon phenomenon this time is that the full moon is close to the date of the summer solstice , or the beginning of summer astronomically, as this will create an amazing visual effect, and the moon will appear larger than usual.

The Moon's orbit around the Earth is closely aligned with the Earth's orbit around the Sun, and on the summer solstice, which represents the longest day of the year, the Sun is at its highest point, while the full moon opposite is at its lowest point, making this month's full moon on the 21st. June is the lowest full moon of the year and the furthest full moon from the sun this year. This coincides with the Earth reaching its furthest distance from the sun on July 5, known as the Earth's annual apogee, making the closest full moon to this date the annual apogee.

Because of this very low height, the moon will appear larger than it actually is, which is known as the “ moon illusion ,” where the moon appears larger when it is near the horizon compared to its height in the sky.

Is the strawberry moon red?

Despite its name, the Strawberry Moon does not usually appear pink or red. Instead, this year's June full moon may appear to glow golden, orange or yellow, due to the moon's low arc across the sky. This means that the moonlight will pass through more... Earth's atmosphere, similar to the scattering of light during sunrise and sunset.

Strawberry moon and people's culture

In the 1930s, the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing "Indian" names for the full moon, and these names became widely known and used. According to this almanac, the full moon in June is called the "Strawberry Moon" , due to the short harvest season for strawberries. In the northeastern United States.

There are other seasonal names for this moon, such as “Flower Moon,” “Hot Moon,” “Hoe Moon,” and “Planting Moon,” and these names have different origins between Europeans and Native Americans.

In Europe, the old European name for this full moon is “Mead Moon” or “Honey Moon.” Mead is a fermented drink made from honey and water, sometimes with fruits, spices, or grains added to it. In some countries, mead is also known as “honey wine.” Some writings indicate that the end of June is the time for honey harvesting, making this moon considered the “sweetest” moon.

The phrase "honeymoon" dates back to the 16th century in Europe. This may be related to the tradition of marrying in June or because the "honeymoon" is the sweetest moon of the year. There is not enough evidence to support the 19th century theory that the term entered the English language due to the custom of gifting. Newlyweds in the first month of their marriage.

Another European name for this full moon is the "Pink Moon." Some sources indicate that "Rose Moon" comes from the roses that bloom at this time of year, while others indicate that the name comes from the color of the moon; Because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is only 5 degrees in line with the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the full Moon at the summer solstice is low in the sky, making it redder in color because the moonlight passes through more of the atmosphere, just like sunrise and sunset. .

For Hindus, this full moon is known as Vaat Purnima, where married women show their love for their husbands by tying a ceremonial thread around a banyan tree, based on the legend of Savitri and Satyavan.

As for Buddhists, they celebrate this full moon as “Bosun Poya,” a holiday in Sri Lanka that celebrates the introduction of Buddhism in 236 BC.

Another tribe, living in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, calls June's full moon the "LRO Moon", in honor of the spacecraft they launched towards the moon on June 18, 2009. This tribe is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, and speaks mainly English with... Use some abbreviations, scientific and engineering terms, and Hawaiian phrases.