When is the June full moon? This Strawberry Moon happens only once every 18 years: What to know

Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·4 min read

If you're craving another chance to see something spectacular in the night sky after the aurora borealis, June's "Strawberry Moon" may help soothe that celestial itch.

Full moons occur roughly every 29.5 days. May's Flower Moon reached its peak on Thursday, May 23, and April's Pink Moon - which wasn't really pink - rose a month before on April 23.

With no unusual hue to the moon in April, and certainly no lunar flowers in May, how do the monthly moons get their names? Here's some info on 2024's full moons, where they get their titles, alternative names for each one and more.

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When was the last full moon?

The last full moon, known as the Flower Moon, reached its peak on May 23.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon, 2024's Strawberry Moon, will be visible June 21-22. The Old Farmer's Almanac says that this time, the Strawberry Moon will be "unusually amber," and low in the sky.

As full moons are always opposite to the sun, the summer solstice occurring around the time of the next full moon means that the moon will be at its lowest point.

If you're up an hour past midnight on the nights when the full moon will be visible, writers of the Almanac suggest taking a peek. This particularly low high point will give the moon's face an orange hue, and make it appear very large in the sky in an event that happens only once every 18 years.

Apart from their guide to this astronomical event, the Almanac also provided this list of folklore and seasonal suggestions for June's full moon:

  • A growing Moon and a flowing tide are lucky times to marry.

  • Days following both the New and Full Moons are most likely to be rainy or stormy.

  • Crabbing, shrimping, and clamming are best when the Moon is full.

  • Best days in June for camping: 19-21.

  • Best days in June for setting eggs: 14,15, 23-25.

  • Best days in June for fishing: 6-21.

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When is the July full moon?

The July full moon, named the Buck Moon, will peak on July 21.

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Why is it called the Strawberry Moon?

Previous reporting by the Hendersonville Times-News said that the 12 full moons each year are named by Native American tradition. In the same article, UNC Asheville Associate Professor of Astronomy Britt Lundren reminded readers that, when sharing the titles of the monthly moons, it's important to remember the cultural diversity of tribes in the U.S. This diversity means that there are actually multiple names for each of the full moons every year.

"Each tribe has a close relationship with the land, and their moon names will reflect the seasonal changes unique to their environments," Lundren said.

While June's moon will appear more colorful than usual, its title of Strawberry Moon has nothing to do with its hue. In fact, this month, the reason behind the title may be a bit more evident to many: Attributed to Algonquian tribes in the northeastern U.S. as well as Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples, the moon's name corresponds to the many strawberries ready for harvesting in June.

The Almanac also mentions that the Haida term, "berries ripen moon," reflects a similar observation. Other names for the month's moon include:

  • Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe)

  • Green Corn Moon (Cherokee)

  • Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki)

  • Birth Moon (Tlingit)

  • Egg Laying Moon (Cree)

  • Hatching Moon (Cree)

The Almanac added several European alternative names including the Honey Moon and Mead Moon.

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2024 full moon names

Here's a list of the full moon names for 2024, courtesy of the Old Farmer's Almanac:

  • January - Wolf Moon

  • February - Snow Moon

  • March - Worm Moon

  • April - Pink Moon

  • May - Flower Moon

  • June - Strawberry Moon

  • July - Buck Moon

  • August - Sturgeon Moon

  • September - Corn Moon

  • October - Hunter Moon

  • November - Beaver Moon

  • December - Cold Moon

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: When is the next full moon? June Strawberry Moon is special this year

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