How to See a “Moon Illusion” When the Full Strawberry Moon Peaks Tonight
Updated: 2:12 p.m. EDT June 21, 2024
Despite its name, the June full moon will not look like a strawberry. But the bright orb could still turn heads Friday night with a larger and more colorful appearance than the average moon. The full moon – which will reach peak fullness at 9:08 p.m. ET on Friday – comes a day after summer. solstice, day of the year when the sun appears highest in the sky in the northern hemisphere. Since a full moon is opposite the sun, this strawberry moon will shine lower in the sky than usual, according to NASA. Because of this “below-average trajectory across the sky,” the full moon could have an “orange or amber” color. colorful appearance, for the same reason that sunsets appear orange or reddish,” Preston Dyches, a science communicator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in an email. Dyches said the effect is the result of light reflected from the moon having to travel a longer distance in Earth’s atmosphere, scattering most of the blue wavelengths (which are shorter than the wavelengths of red waves). Native American tribes across North America named the strawberry moon to mark the ripeness of strawberries in season, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. According to NASA, the moon’s low position in the sky could also make the orb appear larger than usual, due to an effect dubbed the moon illusion. Scientists aren’t sure why this optical illusion occurs, but it’s thought to be due to a combination of how our brains process visual information and the size of the moon compared to smaller objects close to it. the horizon, like the trees or the roofs of houses. When visualizing, Dyches recommends looking when the moon rises or sets to see the effects of the moon illusion. No equipment is needed to view the full moon, but a telescope or pair of binoculars could enhance its features, according to NASA’s Moon Viewing Guide. “Anytime something beautiful about the natural world can be discovered from your doorstep, it’s worth a few minutes of observation. your time,” Dyches said. “It’s rewarding to marvel at the sight of another giant world. … I like to look up and think of it as a place where people will one day live and work. » How to see the “Summer Triangle” in the night sky Because the moon appears full three days a month around its peak, the strawberry moon is going to be visible to almost everyone in the world. However, it will be harder to observe for those further north, such as in Alaska or Denmark, where the faint-crossing moon will only briefly rise above the horizon, Dyches said. Besides the full moon, those in the northern hemisphere can spot the “Summer Triangle,” an arrangement of three bright stars whose presence in the sky symbolizes summer in the north, said Dyches, who also produced the video monthly sky observation from the space agency entitled “What’s Up”. According to EarthSky, it’s easiest to look for the brightest of the three stars, Vega, which will be near the east in the sky. The second brightest, Altair, will be at the bottom right, and the star Deneb, at the bottom left of Vega, will complete the sides of the triangle. Those away from the bright city lights can spot the center of the Milky Way as a “misty band of dark clouds curving across the sky”, and the constellation Scorpio can be seen as it “shows the path to the galactic core,” Dyches added. The Remaining Moons of 2024 There are six more full moons expected to shine in the sky this year, according to EarthSky. Here are the remaining full moons of 2024 and their peak dates: July 21: Buck moonAugust. 19: Sturgeon MoonSeven. 17: Harvest MoonOct. 17: Hunter’s Moonnov. 15: Beaver MoonDec. 15: Cold Moon
Despite its name, the June full moon will not look like a strawberry. But the bright orb could still turn heads Friday night with a larger and more colorful appearance than the average moon.
The full moon – which will peak at 9:08 p.m. ET on Friday – will come a day after the summer solstice, the day of the year when the sun appears highest in the northern hemisphere sky. As the full moon is opposite the sun, this strawberry moon will shine lower in the sky than usual, according to NASA.
Because of this “below-average trajectory across the sky,” the full moon could have “an orange or amber-colored appearance, for the same reason that sunsets appear orange or reddish,” said Preston Dyches, communicator. scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion. Pasadena, Calif., lab in an email.
Dyches said this effect was because light reflected from the moon had to travel a longer distance in Earth’s atmosphere, scattering most blue wavelengths (which are shorter than red wavelengths). ).
Native American tribes across North America named the strawberry moon to mark the ripeness of strawberries in season, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
According to NASA, the moon’s low position in the sky could also make the orb appear larger than usual, due to an effect dubbed the moon illusion. Scientists aren’t sure why this optical illusion occurs, but it’s thought to be due to a combination of how our brains process visual information and the size of the moon compared to smaller objects close to it. the horizon, like the trees or the roofs of houses.
For optimal viewing, Dyches recommends watching when the moon is rising or setting to see the effects of the moon illusion. No equipment is needed to view the full moon, but a telescope or pair of binoculars could enhance its features, according to NASA’s Moon Viewing Guide.
“Anytime something beautiful about the natural world can be experienced on your doorstep, it’s worth spending a few minutes of your time,” Dyches said. “It’s rewarding to marvel at the sight of another giant world. … I like to look up and think of it as a place where people will one day live and work.
How to See the “Summer Triangle” in the Night Sky
Because the moon appears full three days a month around its peak, the strawberry moon will be visible to almost everyone in the world. However, it will be harder to observe in areas further north, such as Alaska or Denmark, where the low-altitude moon will only briefly rise above the horizon, Dyches said.
Besides the full moon, people in the northern hemisphere can see the “Summer Triangle,” an arrangement of three bright stars whose presence in the sky symbolizes summer in the north, said Dyches, who also produces the Monthly video of the space agency’s sky observation highlights. called “What’s New”.
To find the triangular pattern, it’s easiest to look for the brightest of the three stars, Vega, which is near the east in the sky, according to EarthSky. The second brightest, Altaïr, will be at the bottom right, and the star Deneb, at the bottom left of Vega, will complete the sides of the triangle.
Those away from the bright city lights can spot the center of the Milky Way as a “misty band of faint clouds curving across the sky,” and the constellation Scorpio can be seen as it “indicates the path to the galactic core,” Dyches added.
Remaining moons of 2024
According to EarthSky, six more full moons are expected to shine in the sky this year. Here are the remaining full moons of 2024 and their peak dates:
July 21: Buck moon
August 19: Sturgeon Moon
September 17: Harvest Moon
October 17: Hunter’s Moon
November 15: Beaver Moon
December 15: Cold moon