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9th June 2025
04:05pm BST
This month's full moon phenomenon won't be seen again until 2045.
A full moon appears every 29.5 days, which is the length of time it takes for the moon to go through one entire lunar phase cycle.
In other words, a full moon appears when the lunar surface that faces Earth is fully lit up by the Sun.
This Wednesday (June 11) the last full moon of Spring in the northern hemisphere will light up UK skies.
However, June's full moon will look different this year due to a recent phenomenon called a 'major lunar standstill'.
The Moon follows a unique, tilted orbit around Earth, across the Moon's nearly 20-year-long-cycle.
Consequently, events called major and minor lunar standstills occur. This is when the Moon's monthly range of rising and setting positions on the horizon reaches its maximum or minimum limits, resulting in the Moon appearing unusually low or high in the sky.
During this month's Strawberry Moon, Earth will approach its farthest distance from the Sun in its orbit, while the Moon will also be as far from the Sun as it can be in its orbit around Earth.
Anyone looking out for the Moon on Wednesday will notice it will appear far larger than usual. This is due to its proximity to the horizon.
This phenomenon is known as the 'Moon illusion'.
Before anyone gets their hopes up, the Strawberry Moon, will not appear a vibrant strawberry-red.
The name comes from the wild strawberries that start to ripen during early summer, according to the Farmers' Almanac.
Nicknames are given to each month's full moon. January's full Moon is known as the 'Wolf Moon', and February's full moon is named the 'Snow Moon'.
That being said, June's 'Strawberry Moon' might have a bit more in common with its nicknames than its predecessors.
The Strawberry Moon might appear slightly orange or rusty red.
When the Moon sits close to the horizon, it can appear reddish because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere.
This can be compared to a 'Blood Moon' phenomenon seen during a partial lunar eclipse. When sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, it scatters out most of its blue light, resulting in red hues reflecting off the Moon's surface.
The Strawberry Moon will rise on June 11 at 10.46 pm BST, and it will reach its full phase at 8.44 am BST.
On June 11 the sun will rise at around 4.45 am, therefore it will already be light when the Strawberry Moon reaches its full lunar phase.
However, the best time to look out for the phenomenon will be at dusk on Tuesday (June 10).
