Barring the odd Blue Moon, there are a total of 12 Full Moon phases during the annual lunar cycle. Each Full Moon has a unique name tied to the changing seasons and reflects the landscape around us. The upcoming Strawberry Moon, for instance, is named after strawberries ripening in the wild. But when will the June Full Moon rise and what will be the best time to see the glowing orb?
When is the June Full Moon this year?
The June Full Moon, also known as the Strawberry Moon, will peak in brightness on Monday, June 17.
The Strawberry Moon is the sixth Full Moon of the year and comes just a month after May’s Flower Moon.
And the Strawberry Moon precedes next month’s Full Buck Moon.
Learn more about the incredible Flower Moon, which also happened to be a Blue Moon, by clicking here.
Strawberry Moon 2019: The June Full Moon is named after wild strawberries (Image: GETTY)
When will the June Full Moon rise?
The Full Moon will peak in brightness over the nightside of Earth everywhere at the exact same time.
There will be slight differences in when this happens due to the different timezones around the globe.
In the UK for instance, the Full Moon phase will peak at 9.30am BST.
In Moscow, Russia, however, the Full Moon will peak two hours later at 11.30am local time.
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Another factor to consider is whether the Moon will be visible in your sky when it peaks in brightness.
Here in the UK, the Moon will set beneath the horizon at 4.54am BST on June 17, meaning the peak will not be visible.
Hopeful astronomers will have to wait until 9.30pm BST for the Full Moon to creep up into the night sky.
Regardless of whether you see the peak or not, the Moon will be exquisitely large and bright for two to three days around the peak.
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Strawberry Moon 2019: The June Full Moon rises on Monday, June 17 this year (Image: GETTY)
This happens because the Full Moon phase marks the moment the Moon’s Earth-facing side is fully illuminated by the Sun.
As the Moon orbits both the Earth and the Sun, different amounts of the side of the Moon we see are lit up.
The shifting luminance is known as the Lunar Cycle, which lasts about 29.5 days from one New Moon to the next.
The New Moon is the lunar phase when the orb’s face is not lit up and appears to vanish at night.
Why is the June Full Moon known as the Strawberry Moon?
Many of the Moon’s unusual names we use today originate in the traditions of Native American tribes in Eastern USA.
Tribes such as the Algonquin would name the Moon’s phases after changes in the landscape in a bid to track time.
Amy Nieskens of the Old Farmer’s Almanac explained: “June’s Moon is known as the Full Strawberry Moon.
“Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as the time to gather ripening strawberries.
“In places where strawberries aren’t native, this Moon was also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.”
Strawberry Moon 2019: The Full Moon will be fully lit up by the Sun (Image: GETTY)
What are the Full Moons this year?
Here is a full list of the named Full Moons this year:
January 21 – Wolf Moon
February 19 – Snow Moon
March 21 – Worm Moon
April 19 – Pink Moon
May 18 – Flower Moon
June 17 – Strawberry Moon
July 16 – Buck Moon
August 15 – Sturgeon Moon
September 14 – Full Corn Moon
October 13 – Hunter’s Moon
November 12– Beaver’s Moon
December 12 – Cold Moon