Full Moon Alert: Strawberry Moon to Make Spectacular Appearance on June 10
A spectacular full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, is set to make its appearance on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, just before dawn. This lunar event, which marks the final full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, will be best seen at moonrise as it appears in the east during dusk.
According to Forbes, the Strawberry Moon will turn full at 3:45 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, just 10 days before the solstice on Saturday, June 21, 2025. However, it will look full the night before and the night after it’s officially 100%-lit by the sun, but the best time to watch it rise is at moonrise during dusk on Tuesday, June 10.
The Strawberry Moon, also known as the flower and rose moon, gets its name from the ripening of summer berries in North America during June. As Forbes reports, cultural and seasonal names for the full moon vary hugely across the world.
Key Facts to Keep in Mind
- The Strawberry Moon will be the lowest-hanging full moon not only of the year, but since 2006, due to a once-in-18.6-years occurrence called the "major lunar standstill."
- A full moon always looks at its best not when it’s high in the sky at night, but when it first appears above the eastern horizon during dusk.
- The sight is at its best when the moon rises shortly after sunset, which is the case this month for North America, with the moon rising a few minutes after sunset.
- As Forbes advises, to see the full Strawberry Moon at its best, find an elevated location, an open field or an east-facing coastline with a clear view of the eastern horizon.
Best Time to See the Full ‘Strawberry Moon’ Rise
To find the best time to see the Strawberry Moon appear from your location, consult a moonrise calculator. Here are some sample times:
- New York: sunset at 8:26 p.m. EDT, moonrise at 8:27 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11.
- Los Angeles: sunset at 8:04 p.m. PDT, moonrise at 8:06 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, June 11.
- London: sunset at 9:16 p.m. BST, moonrise at 9:19 p.m. BST on Wednesday, June 11.
The Role of the ‘Major Lunar Standstill’
According to Forbes, this year’s Strawberry Moon is also influenced by the moon’s current major lunar standstill. This once-every-18.6 years period, which lasts for about a year, is caused by the tilts of the moon and Earth being at their maximum — meaning the moon rises and sets at the farthest points on its range on the horizon.
Background Information
The Strawberry Moon is the sixth of 12 full moons in 2025. As Forbes notes, the solar year is 365.24 days, while our lunar year is around 354.37 days, so sometimes there are 13 full moons in one calendar (solar) year — as in 2023 and next in 2028.
The next full moon is the buck moon, which will occur on Thursday, July 10. It will be the first full moon of the Northern Hemisphere’s astronomical season of summer (and winter in the Southern Hemisphere), which begins on the date of the June solstice on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
For more information on the moon in 2025, including details on "supermoons" and "blood moon" total lunar eclipses, visit Forbes.
