The next full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, is set to grace the night sky on Friday evening, June 21, 2024.
The Strawberry Moon, carries various names such as Flower Moon, Hot Moon, Hoe Moon, Planting Moon, Mead Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon, Vat Purnima, Poson Poya, and the LRO Moon.
A celestial spectacle:
The Strawberry Moon will peak at 9:08 PM EDT on June 21, 2024, offering a delightful sight for sky gazers worldwide.
While, most commercial calendars mark the full Moon on Saturday, June 22, in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the Moon will shine brightly for about three days around this time, from Thursday evening through Sunday morning.
Historical and mythological ties:
The name Strawberry Moon originates from the short season for harvesting strawberries in the northeastern United States.
Other names like Flower Moon, Hot Moon, Hoe Moon, and Planting Moon also signify the agricultural importance of this lunar event.
In European folklore, this full Moon is also known as the Mead or Honey Moon, symbolizing the sweetness of honey ready for harvesting around the end of June.
Additionally, the Rose Moon derives its name from either the roses blooming during this time or the reddish hue the Moon takes when low in the sky.
For Hindus, this full Moon marks Vat Purnima, a celebration where married women tie ceremonial threads around banyan trees as an expression of love for their husbands.
In Buddhism, it's Poson Poya, commemorating the introduction of Buddhism in 236 BCE.
Another noteworthy name for this full Moon is the LRO Moon, honoring NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched on June 18, 2009.
