Full 'strawberry moon' welcomes 1st day of summer
(FOX WEATHER) – June's full Moon is unique this year because it will rise a day after the official start of summer and be the lowest full Moon of the year. With the scorching temperatures across the U.S., it's already felt like summer for weeks, and if you ask a meteorologist, it's been summer since June 1. However, the official start of astronomical summer begins with the summer solstice, which happens every year between June 20 and 22.
This year, the summer solstice falls on Thursday, June 20, at 4:51 p.m. ET when the Tropic of Cancer is aligned directly with the Sun. The very next night, on Friday, June 21, the Strawberry Moon will rise at 9:08 p.m. ET.
According to NASA, June's full Moon will be the lowest of the year, reaching only 21.9 degrees above the southern horizon after midnight on Saturday. This happens because as the full Moon reaches its peak illumination, the Sun is at its highest of the year. For some places within the Arctic Circle, the Moon won't make it above the horizon.