by The first full day of summer 2024 ended with the last cherry on top, or, in this case, strawberries. The Strawberry Moon 2024, the full moon for June, rose over the world just after sunset last night, delighting stargazers the world over.
The strawberry full moon gets its name from the Algonquin tribe of the northwestern United States, according to Space.com’s list of full moon designations, but it is also known by other names, such as the Rose moon, in Europe. This year, the Strawberry Moon occurred one day after the summer solstice in June in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the first day of summer, leading some to call it the Strawberry Solstice Moon.
The moon officially reached full illumination last night at 9:08 pm EDT (0108 GMT on June 22), flashing its face to skywatchers across the eastern US and beyond as it climbed above the western sky. Taking advantage of the warm weather and an exceptional display from our closest celestial neighbour, photographers around the world grabbed their cameras and looked towards the skies with some amazing results.
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In Athens, Greece, photographer Costas Baltas took advantage of the iconic ruins of the Temple of Poseidon to capture the Strawberry Moon rising behind the ancient monument at Cape Sounion for Anadolu news services and Getty Image.
Skywatcher Kevin McCarthy of Charlotte, North Carolina captured a stunning image of a full orange-pink moon during the Strawberry Full Moon and seemed surprised by the color of the moon.
“Summer solstice strawberry moon rising through the trees as seen from Charlotte, North Carolina,” McCarthy told Space.com in an email. “The color was not enhanced — this was the natural color as seen by the naked eye.”
In Fort Worth, Texas, skywatcher Matt Lantz went the video route, recording a stunning time-lapse of the Strawberry Full Moon as it rose over the city. He shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) to enjoy.
“June’s strawberry moon rising beautifully over the skyline of downtown Fort Worth, Texas,” Lantz wrote in his post.
Related: Full moon calendar 2024: When to see the next full moon
Dan Martland, a digital producer based in New York City, managed to capture a series of attractive views of a ginormous red-hued Strawberry Moon as it rose behind the Empire State Building and other skyscrapers.
“Tonight Strawberry Moon looming over Midtown Manhattan,” he wrote on X, where he shared the images.
Getty Images photographer Gary Hershorn didn’t wait until the official date of the moon for the Strawberry Moon to capture amazing views. On June 20, the night before the event, he found they were in a perfect spot to see the full moon rise behind the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York City as seen from nearby Jersey City, New Jersey manual.
But Hershorn didn’t stop there. On the actual night of the Strawberry Moon he went to Weehawken, New Jersey to get a clear view of the Empire State Building, and the full moon appeared to crown the NYC icon.
While the Strawberry Moon marked the first full moon of summer for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere, for people south of the equator it was the opposite. The June solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere and photographer Robbie Pesiwarissa of Robbiesydney Photography was ready.
“Full Moon over Sydney Tower Eye,” Pesiwarissa wrote in an email to Space.com, sharing a stunning image of the full moon. “Strawberry Moon coinciding with the winter solstice last Friday, June 21, was the ‘shortest day of the year’ in Sydney, Australia.”
In Italy, photojournalist Manuel Romano watched the moon rise above the ancient Roca Vecchia Tower in Lecce to great effect. The tower is part of a Bronze Age settlement in southern Italy that was settled from the 17th century to the end of the 11th century BCE, according to the Archaeological Institute of America.
Remember Getty photography Gary Hershorn? He didn’t just photograph the moon and NYC sights. He saw some moon gazers, too. Here, Hershorn captures the moment a group of sky watchers took a photo of the Empire State Building, Strawberry Moon and the NYC skyline from Weehawken, New Jersey.
Skywatcher Lisa Shislowski almost missed the Strawberry Moon while watching over Fort Lauderdale Beach in Florida on Friday night because of what all stargazers know: clouds. But, luckily, the moon pulled through.
“It was a beautiful evening in Fort Lauderdale Beach last night, and the Strawberry Full Moon did not disappoint,” Shislowski told Space.com in an email while sharing her photo. “Even through the clouds, the moon was full but amazing.”
Related Stories:
— The night sky, June 2024: What you see tonight [maps]
— The brightest planets in the night sky in June: How to see them (and when)
– The Strawberry Solstice Moon of June 2024 shines tonight for summer stargazers (video)
The next full moon is July’s Full Buck Moon on July 21st.
If you’re hoping to look at the next full moon, these telescopes and binoculars are a great place to start, as are our guides on how to photograph meteor showers, and the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography to shoot the night sky. Generally.
Note to the Editor: If you draw an image of the Strawberry Moon and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, and name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
