June's full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, will illuminate the sky on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
It will reach its peak brightness at 3:44 a.m. ET on Wednesday. However, skywatchers can still catch a stunning view of the moon as it appears low in the eastern sky after sunset on Tuesday and low in the western sky just before sunrise on Wednesday, according to EarthSky.
This full moon is particularly special because it coincides with the upcoming summer solstice on June 20. During this time, the sun climbs high in the sky while the moon sits low on the horizon, as they lie on opposite sides of the Earth.
Adding to the rarity, this will be the lowest full moon seen from the Northern Hemisphere in decades, due to a celestial event called a major lunar standstill. This phenomenon occurs roughly every 18.6 years when the moon reaches its farthest north or south in the sky, influenced by the sun’s gravitational pull. Despite its ongoing orbit, the moon appears to pause in its movement, which is why it’s called a "standstill," according to the Griffith Observatory.......Read More