STRAWBERRY MOON: June’s Moon, known in legend and folklore as the “Strawberry Moon,” will turn 100% full Friday, June 5, at 3:12 p.m. EDT.

At this time of year, when spring turns to summer and the flowers of May begin to fade, berries burst forth from bushes. To the Algonquin tribes who once roamed much of North America, June was synonymous with strawberries.

This sweet, tangy and nutritious wild food staple was only available for a short time each year. So June’s full Moon naturally came to be known as the Strawberry Moon, universally used by every tribe.

In Europe where strawberries were once unknown, June’s full Moon was most commonly known as the Rose Moon. This was the month when fragrant gardens reached their peak, and the rose bushes exploded into bold color, offering respite from the gray days of winter.

Some may ask, will the Moon look “Strawberry” in color?

No, Earth’s natural satellite won’t be changing color, so don’t believe the pictures or reports of a strawberry-pink-colored Moon on the Internet; they’re usually just used for effect.

Be sure you catch the moonrise: when there’s a full Moon, the Moon and Sun are nearly directly opposite each other. So as the Sun sets in the west on the 5th, you can turn around and wait to see the Moon rise in the east.

The good news is that the Moon will look full on June 4th-6th so get out and enjoy it—here’s hoping for clear skies!

A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Also, for the second time this year (the first was January 10), the Moon encounters the Earth’s outer penumbral shadow. Generally speaking, most people do not notice any darkening or shading effect if less than seven-tenths of the Moon’s diameter is inside the penumbra.

In this case, with less than six-tenths of the Moon within the penumbra, it’s debatable whether anyone will notice any slight darkening effect on the Moon’s lower edge at mid-eclipse. And visibility will be confined to central and east Africa, Eastern Europe, western and central Asia, most of Indonesia and Australia.

For more full Moon dates, times, and folklore, visit https://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-dates-and-times