Tonight Ukrainians will be able to see the “strawberry moon”
11 June 2025 01:19
The “Strawberry Moon” will be visible in the sky over Ukraine, the closest full moon to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (Solstice 20.06.2025, GMT and 21.06, Kyiv time), making it the lowest full moon of the year. This was reported by astronomer Volodymyr Kazhanov on his Facebook page, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“Just as the Sun rises higher in the sky at the summer solstice and falls lowest at the winter solstice, the Moon has its “ups and downs,” but its movement is more complex,” the astronomer said.
The full moon in June 2025 will be the lowest in 18 years in the Northern Hemisphere. The moon will drop to -28° 24.1′ (celestial coordinates), very close to the horizon.
“There will be no more such low full moons until June 2043. The moon will be visible unusually low above the horizon, and its rising and setting will take place in the southeastern and southwestern points of the sky,” explained Kazhanov.
The best time to admire the Moon will be when it rises in the evening of June 11. Since the Moon is opposite the Sun at this moment, it will create the illusion of a large, golden-orange disk.
Why is it called “strawberry”?
The name “strawberry moon” was given to this phenomenon by the indigenous peoples of North America. For them, the June full moon marked the strawberry picking season.
However, a similar tradition of naming full moons existed in Europe – each phase of the full moon corresponded to a certain time of year, harvest, or natural phenomenon.
The lunar illusion is a trick of the eye
During a low full moon, many people notice that the moon looks much larger than usual. This phenomenon is known as the lunar illusion. Even though the size of the Moon remains the same, when it is low above the horizon, our brain perceives it to be larger.
The atmosphere has nothing to do with it – it only changes the color, not the size. To see the illusory nature of the effect, it is enough to compare the Moon with a coin on an outstretched arm – it will be the same at the bottom and at the top.
What’s next?
This year, we have several more spectacular lunar events to look forward to. Here is the 2025 lunar calendar:
june 11 – Strawberry Moon, Solar Moon, Honey Moon
july 10 – Thunderstorm Full Moon, Thunder Moon, Deer Moon
august 9 – Sturgeon Moon, Savior Moon
september 7 – Corn or Harvest Moon
october 7 – Harvest or Hunting Moon
november 5 – Beaver Supermoon, Frosty Moon
december 4 – Cold Moon
Supermoon is another highlight of the year
In particular, on November 5, 2025, we will have a Supermoon – the moment when the full moon coincides with the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth. At that time, the distance to the satellite will be only 357,218 km, and it will appear slightly larger than usual in the sky.
