The full “strawberry moon” rose over several famous landmarks, including the Empire State Building in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Contributor via Getty Images)
The “Strawberry Moon” appeared over Earth last night as an event known as a “major lunar standstill” caused the full Moon to hang lower in the sky than it has in two decades.
The June full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because this is the time of year when wild strawberries are in full bloom in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The June full moon is lower in the sky than at any other time of year. However, this year's Strawberry Moon is especially low because of a significant lunar standstill, or lunistics.
A major lunar standstill occurs when the tilts of the Earth and Moon reach their maximum, causing the Moon to periodically rise and fall to extreme positions on the horizon due to the changing tilt of its orbit. Last night's major lunar standstill brought the Moon to its southernmost position on the eastern horizon. The Moon was last this low in 2006.
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The ultra-low Strawberry Moon was visible from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning (June 10-11), and skywatchers around the world raised their cameras to capture the phenomenon. Live Science has collected some stunning images of the rare lunar event.
The Strawberry Moon rises over Torre del Serpe in Otranto, Italy.
In this image, the full moon rises over Torre del Serpe in Otranto, Italy. Although June's full moon is named after strawberries, it is not necessarily a different color than during a “blood moon,” when the Earth's natural satellite takes on a bloody hue. However, strawberry moons are often slightly tinted because they are so close to the horizon.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
