Here's How To Watch The Final Supermoon of 2021
The “Strawberry Moon” will illuminate the sky from Thursday to Saturday.
The June “Strawberry Moon” will appear in the sky on Thursday, marking the final supermoon of 2021 and closing out a series of cosmic phenomenons that included a “ring of fire” solar eclipse and a “super flower blood moon” earlier this year.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon most closely approaches Earth, specifically within 90 percent of perigee, causing the Moon to appear slightly brighter and larger than usual. June’s full Moon is marginally considered a supermoon, though it is slightly farther from Earth than April and May’s full moons, according to NASA.
Contrary to its name, the “Strawberry Moon” will not appear red or pink — the moniker derives from the Algonquin tribes’ short-lived strawberry harvesting season in the northeastern United States. Instead, the supermoon will illuminate the skies with a large golden glow across three days.
The Moon will become completely full at 2:40 p.m. EDT on Thursday afternoon, though it won’t be visible in North America for several hours, until the moon ascends over the horizon during moonrise. The supermoon will continue to appear full through early Saturday.
The “Strawberry Moon” is the first of four full moons to occur during the summer season. The next supermoon will occur next year on June 14, 2022.
In order to maximize viewing, take a look at the Farmer’s Almanac to calculate precise timing of the moon’s rise in a specific area.
Elsewhere in orbit, NASA is planning its first-ever visit to the dark side of the moon.
