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These 17 Stunning Photos of the Strawberry Moon Show Earth's Natural Satellite in All Its Glory
Key takeaways
- Of this year’s 13 expected full moons, seven have already passed.
- “For all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the lowest full moon of 2026, and one of the lowest full moons in decades,” said EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd during a June 24 livestream.
- The strawberry moon earned its sweet nickname not because of any pink coloration, but because of the season in which it appears.
The strawberry full moon rises behind the Empire State Building in New York City on June 29, 2026, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey. Gary Hershorn / Getty Images. The moon is always there, even when we can’t see it. Through all its phases and phenomena, people love to look up at our planet’s only natural satellite and follow along.
Of this year’s 13 expected full moons, seven have already passed. Most recently, June’s “strawberry” moon dazzled in the night sky as the first full moon of the summer. The moon’s peak illumination occurred around 7:57 p.m. E.T. on June 29 in the United States.
“For all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the lowest full moon of 2026, and one of the lowest full moons in decades,” said EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd during a June 24 livestream. That low position made our celestial companion take on a golden hue, she added, because skywatchers in the north were “looking at it through a greater-than-usual thickness of Earth’s air.”