Tonight when you look up at the night sky you may notice that the moon is particularly big and bright, if we’re lucky, it may even take on a reddish hue.
This is because tonight, June 5, will see a lunar event known as a Full Strawberry Moon.
According to Mirror Online, this happens when the moon is located on the opposite side of the Earth as the sun.
Meaning, Earth’s lunar satellite will be fully illuminated, making the moon look particularly bright in tonight’s sky.
While this full moon is often referred to as a Full Strawberry Moon, our lunar satellite won’t appear a bold pink or red as the name suggests.
Instead, the name was chosen by early Native American tribes because it signalled the time of year to gather ripening fruit.
NASA explained: “The Maine Farmer's Almanac first published Indian names for the Full Moons in the 1930's.
“According to this almanac, the full Moon in June or the last full Moon of Spring is known as the Strawberry Moon, a name universal to just about every Algonquin tribe.”
“The name comes from the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries in northeastern North America.
“An old European name for this full Moon is the Mead Moon or the Honey Moon. Mead is a drink created by fermenting honey mixed with water, sometimes with fruits, spices, grains, or hops.”
So when can we see the Full Strawberry Moon in our skies tonight?
The Full Strawberry Moon will officially peak at 20:12 BST, however, it should be visible all evening.
Sunset is set to take place at 21:11 BST this evening.
The Moonrise time in Liverpool tonight is set to be at 21.23pm in the southeast skies.
If you miss the moon tonight you may well be able to catch it on Saturday and Sunday as the moon always appears full for about three nights centred on the peak.
