Sky watchers in Greece witnessed the Strawberry Moon on Monday evening as June’s full moon reached peak illumination, marking the first full moon of the astronomical summer.
While many expected a pink or deep red moon because of its name, astronomers say the Strawberry Moon is no different in color from any other full moon. Its familiar name has nothing to do with its appearance and everything to do with history.
Why is it called the Strawberry Moon?
Despite widespread misconceptions, the full Moon is not named after its color. According to NASA, the name originated with the Algonquin tribes of northeastern North America, who used the June full moon to mark the brief strawberry harvesting season.
Many observers noticed the Moon appearing orange, golden or reddish shortly after moonrise, leading to speculation that it had turned into a “Blood Moon.” Astronomers say that is not the case. A reddish appearance occurs because the Moon is viewed through a thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere when it is close to the horizon.
The atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths of light, allowing more red and orange light to reach the observer. As the Moon climbs higher into the sky, it gradually returns to its familiar silvery-white color.
