The sixth full moon of the year will take place later today. Almost a month on from May's super flower blood moon phenomena, this particular full moon will also be a larger supermoon and thus appear larger and brighter.
A supermoon occurs at the point in the moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth, otherwise known as pedigree. Although today represents the peak of June's full moon, the super strawberry moon will still appear full for the days in and around.
Read on for everything you need to know about tonight's strawberry full moon.
Read more: The closest-ever images taken of the sun - they're mesmerising
Best time to spot the strawberry moon
It may seem odd for a full moon to occur during daylight hours, but it will actually peak at 12.51pm. This is because that is the exact moment when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, which is not determined by the time of day.
It will still be visible just after sunset this evening (14 June), so get the binoculars at the ready. The best time to view it will be at the start of moonrise or moonset as it will appear larger near the horizon.
How to see the supermoon
If you can't get out to spot the moon in person, there are sites livestreaming the event. The Virtual Telescope Project in Ceccano, Italy will house views of the full moon rising over Rome, with the broadcast scheduled for 8.15pm, with further information found here.
Why is it called a strawberry moon?
Although taking on a pinkish hue to represent the strawberry colour, that isn't where the name originates. According to NASA, some Native American tribes referred to the late spring/early summer full moon as a strawberry moon because it marked the ripening of ‘June-bearing’ strawberries.
When is July's full moon?
July’s full Moon will occur on 13 July at 19.38pm. Also a supermoon, it has been classed as a buck moon.
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