Summer solstice stargazers to be treated with rare 'strawberry moon'

The summer solstice will align with the rise of a strawberry moon –– named for the height of the strawberry harvest season during which it falls –– for the first time since 1967

(Image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

published 20 June 2016

For the first time since 1967, the summer solstice will align with the rise of a strawberry moon, so named because it falls at the height of the strawberry harvest season. However, Monday's moon will likely also be rich gold in color — a "honeymoon."

According to Farmer's Almanac, during this occurrence "the sun gets super high so this moon must be super low … This forces [the moon's] light through thicker air, which also tends to be humid this time of year, and the combination typically makes it amber-colored."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.