Overview
- The full Strawberry Moon reaches peak illumination at about 7:56–7:58 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 29, 2026, and will remain effectively full across the night into June 30 in many time zones.
- The name 'Strawberry Moon' comes from Indigenous North American seasonal calendars marking the short strawberry harvest and does not refer to the Moon's color.
- This year’s full moon occurs one day after lunar apogee so it is a micromoon that will appear noticeably smaller and slightly dimmer than average, with sources estimating roughly a 12–14% reduction in apparent size and brightness.
- Observers get the best views at local moonrise on the southeastern horizon from open, low‑light locations where atmospheric scattering can give the Moon warm golden or orange tones and simple binoculars can add detail.
- Skywatchers should note the Moon’s low path will be most pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere, similar extreme low arcs won’t recur until about the 2040s, and bright moonlight may wash out fainter meteors from the June Bootids during the same nights.