On Wednesday 11 June we will be able to attend a “spatial” show as RATO as fascinating: the so -called “strawberry moon”. A “special” full moon, as it will be the southernmost of the next 18 years.
The full moon “of the strawberries” 2025
The name “of the strawberries” comes from the traditions of Native American, who in June made the collection of these fruits, accompanied by the full moon. In Europe the same moon was also called honey, another poetic name to indicate a period of abundance, weddings and collected. This year’s event is scheduled for June 11, 2025 at 09:46 (Italian time) when in our country it will be day and the satellite will have passed for a few hours now. The real opportunity to observe it will be the night between 10 and 11 June, when the moon will be extremely low on the horizon, more than usual, but for those who live in the city it will be very difficult to see it.
From Italy the observations closest to the full phase will be possible in the early hours of day 11, perhaps accompanying the splendid star until dawn, when it will set around 04:45. The observation can then be repeated on the evening of 11 June, with the moon that will rise around 9:30 pm, about 45 minutes after the sunset. Remember that the exact times depend on the position of the observer.
The southernmost of the next 18 years
As mentioned, it will be a “special” moon: after the even more extreme one of 22 June 2024, it will be the southernmost until 2043. About 17 hours later, however, around 02:30 on 12 June, our satellite will reach the southernmost celestial position touched by a moon still practically full from 2006 to 2043. The orbit of the moon is inclined by just over 5 degrees compared to the terrestrial one: Therefore, the satellite can differ up to a maximum of that quantity to the north or south compared to the ecliptic, the projection between the stars of the terrestrial orbit, or the apparent annual path of the sun along the zodiac.
“Now – explains the astrophysicist Gianluca Masi – If that extra waste of about 5 degrees adds north with the moon already close to the northern extreme of the ecliptic, or steals south when the satellite is at the southern end of the zodiac, then the position of the moon assumes, respectively, the northern or southern value possible, a condition that is called the greatest lunist. of the lunar orbit precedes in the space of about 19 degrees a year, completing a ride in 18.6 years.
How and when to see it
On June 11, therefore, the moon will be full near the larger southern lunist, hence its extreme position, low to the south. On that occasion, the satellite will be a guest of the compillration of the filing, crossed by the Eclitic as the most famous twelve of the Zodiac. The show of the full moon is maximum to its rise, that is, at the sunset, or at the sunset of our satellite, that is, at dawn (the full moon shines in the sky on the opposite side with respect to our star, so that it rises at sunset of the sun and sets at dawn). “During the twilight – explains the founder of the Virtual Telescope Project – the residual sunlight allows you to admire the terrestrial landscape while the full moon rises or falls on the horizon”. “At night – continues Masi – its light is very intense, almost dazzling, compared to the very discreet one of the panorama. Upon rising or sunset, the moon proves behind buildings and landscape elements, generating the feeling that its disc is larger, but it is only an optical illusion, due precisely to the presence in the visual field of terms of comparison, taken from the environment”.
The Virtual Telescope Project, thanks to its instruments installed in Manciano (Grosseto), will resume the full moon of the strawberries, as it is called in the American tradition because of the concomitant harvest of small fruits, while arising on the horizon of the Maremma, sharing the vision live, as always, with the curious from all over the world. They will also show the images obtained a few hours earlier, at dawn, with the moon taken from the capital. The comment to the event. Totally free and available at the following link, it will be of the astrophysicist Gianluca Masi: the appointment is at 9.30 pm on Wednesday 11 June 2025. Good observation.