June's full moon
The lowest and most golden full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere
The Strawberry Moon is the traditional name for June's full moon. In 2026 it reaches fullness on June 29 at 23:56 UTC (7:56 PM EDT). It will look completely full on the nights of June 28, 29 and 30, so you don't need to hit the exact minute to enjoy it.
It isn't a supermoon and it doesn't literally turn pink, but it has one striking quirk: because it falls near the summer solstice, it is the full moon that follows the lowest arc across the sky all year. That keeps it close to the horizon for hours, where the atmosphere tints it amber, golden and reddish.
The name comes from the Algonquin peoples of northeastern North America, who used it to mark the brief wild-strawberry harvest that ripens right as June's full moon arrives. It was a season of abundance and celebration after winter.
In Europe the same moon was known as the Honey Moon. June was the month of weddings, and honey from the hives reached its sweetest point. That's where the word honeymoon comes from: couples drank mead through the lunar cycle following their wedding. It is also called the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.
Because June's full moon lands near the summer solstice — when the Sun is at its highest — the Moon, sitting opposite the Sun, takes the lowest path of the year. It skims the southern horizon all night. Light from a low Moon travels through far more atmosphere, which scatters away the blue wavelengths and leaves a warm amber-pink glow.
Add the moon illusion: our brain perceives the Moon as larger when it is near terrestrial references like trees or buildings. The Strawberry Moon often looks like a giant golden lantern just as it rises.
Head outside at sunset on June 29: the Strawberry Moon rises in the southeast just as the sun sets and stays low all night. Precisely because it hugs the horizon, that's when it shows its famous golden or orange colour. You don't need a telescope or binoculars — it's spectacular to the naked eye.
The 2026 Strawberry Moon falls on June 29. In 2027 June's full moon is on June 19, and in 2028 it's on June 6. The exact date shifts each year but it always lands in June.