The 2026 Strawberry Moon Peaks on June 29 at 7:57 PM ET, Riding the Lowest Arc of Any Full Moon This Year
June’s Strawberry Moon Rises Tonight as 2026’s First Full Moon of Summer at Its Lowest. The 2026 Strawberry Moon Peaks on June 29 at 7:57 PM ET, Riding the Lowest Arc of Any Full Moon This Year.
NJ.com reports that June’s full Strawberry Moon reaches peak illumination on June 29, 2026, at 7:56 PM Eastern Time; the first full moon of summer, rising just eight days after the June 21 solstice and tracking the lowest arc across the sky of any full moon throughout the year.
The Strawberry Moon Gets Its Name From Algonquian and Ojibwe Tribes Who Timed the Wild Strawberry Harvest to This Full Moon Each June
The name comes from the Algonquin and several other North American nations who timed the wild strawberry harvest to June, when the fruit ripens across the lower 48, Canada, and Alaska. The name has nothing to do with the moon’s colour, though the June full moon often does appear warm and amber-toned.
Because a full moon always rides opposite the sun, and the June sun sits at its highest point of the year, the full moon takes the lowest path of the year, sending its light through far more of Earth’s atmosphere and pulling out amber, gold, and rose tones; the same physics that paints a sunset.
Tonight Is Also the Last Micromoon of 2026, With Each Subsequent Full Moon Growing Closer and Larger Until December’s Full Cold Moon
The 2026 Strawberry Moon is also the last micromoon of the year; the Moon is near apogee, its farthest point from Earth. From here, each full moon will appear progressively bigger and brighter until the largest full moon of the year, the Full Cold Moon on December 23. The moon will look full from Sunday June 28 through Tuesday June 30 for viewers without clear conditions tonight.
Look southeast at sunset. The lowest moon of the year is also one of the most beautiful. Check out our previous coverage of science and astronomy news here.
