Let’s face it, in many parts of the country it’s still cold outside.
If you have noticed people wearing their parkas lately or shivering through yet another false spring, you are not alone. Fortunately, a traditional promise of summer is about to arrive in the night sky.
The full “Strawberry Moon” will peak on June 29 at 7:56 p.m. Eastern Time, but don’t expect it to look strawberry-pink, because it won’t. Native American tribes, including the Algonquin, didn’t name it for its color but as a seasonal marker—a signal that wild strawberries were finally ripe for picking.
While it won’t look pink, it may take on a spectacular warm glow. This year’s full Strawberry Moon closely follows the summer solstice, so it will hug the horizon, tracing its lowest arc through the sky. Moonlight will have to travel though more of Earth’s atmosphere to reach our eyes and will thus take on a rich, honey-gold or rust-red hue. Think of it as nature’s reassurance: real summer warmth is finally on the way.
