The first Full Moon of this summer is coming! In the wee hours on Monday morning the Moon will reach its full phase and it will look full for about three days around this time. On both June 16 and 17, 2019, the Moon will shine in the sky close to Jupiter all night long.

The June Full Moon is also known as the Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Hot Moon or Mead Moon. As with many other moon names, the first name has a seasonal tie - the timing of the Moon coincides with strawberry-picking season in North America. Europeans call it the Rose Moon because of its reddish color at this time of the year, while other cultures dubbed it the Hot Moon because of the beginning of summer heat. The old European name for the June Full Moon is the Mead Moon or the Honey Moon. It comes from the drink made of water and fermenting honey. According to another hypothesis, around this time the honey is ready to be harvested. In Southern Hemisphere this Full Moon is also named the Long Night Moon.

This year the June Full Moon happens to occur a few days before the June Solstice, which is on June 21.

Full Moons are one of the most fascinating astronomical events we can observe with the naked eye. Make sure that you’ve chosen rather a dark place with clear skies far from the city lights and admire the bright light of the Full Strawberry Moon.

Keep up to date with the latest astronomical events with our Star Walk 2 app.

Happy stargazing!