Topline
June’s full Strawberry Moon rises tonight, Monday, June 29, bringing skywatchers the lowest-hanging full moon of 2026 in the Northern Hemisphere. It will be best seen at moonrise as it climbs the southeastern horizon during dusk, when the famous “moon illusion” makes it appear enormous against buildings, trees and distant landscapes. That’s despite it actually being one of the year’s smallest full moons. Here’s exactly when and where to see it from across North America.
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Year’s Second-Smallest Full Moon
This is the second-smallest full moon of 2026 because it occurs just over a day after apogee, when the moon is farthest from Earth in its elliptical monthly orbit. At a distance of 252,442 miles (406,267 kilometers), it qualifies as a micromoon, appearing about 13% smaller and dimmer than average. Despite that, tonight’s full moon may look gigantic during moonrise because of the moon illusion, a psychological effect that makes low-hanging moons appear dramatically larger when viewed alongside familiar foreground objects such as buildings, trees and mountains.
First Full Moon Since The Summer Solstice
June’s full moon hangs especially low in the Northern Hemisphere because it arrives so soon after the June solstice. Since full moons always sit opposite the sun in Earth’s sky, the moon mirrors the sun’s winter path, tracing a shallow arc low across the southern horizon all night. It will be the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where the full moon will rise high opposite a low sun as it becomes the first full moon of winter.
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Background
The Strawberry Moon gets its name not from its color but from seasonal strawberry harvesting traditions in North America. Other Indigenous and traditional names include the Berries Ripen Moon, Green Corn Moon and Hot Moon. This year’s Strawberry Moon is the seventh of 13 full moons in 2026 — an unusually crowded lunar calendar caused by the moon’s 29.5-day cycle drifting against the solar calendar.
What’s Next In The Night Sky
The next full moon after the Strawberry Moon will be the Buck Moon on July 29. It will be followed on Aug. 12 by a total solar eclipse visible from eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, while much of Europe will experience a deep partial eclipse. It will coincide with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12-13 under dark skies, with bright meteors streaking overhead at rates exceeding 50 per hour.
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Further Reading
ForbesYour Full Moon Guide For 2026 — All 13 Dates For Your DiaryBy Jamie CarterForbesYour Ultimate Travel Guide To The 2026 Total Solar EclipseBy Jamie CarterForbesIn Photos: 25 Stunning Milky Way Images Named World’s Best For 2026By Jamie Carter