EARTH — In a rare occurence, and for the first time since 1948, the full moon on Monday, June 20 will appear on the same night as summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
The sun will be high, and the moon will be low. Known as the honey moon for its sometimes-amber color, or strawberry moon for seasonal abundance, you get twin opportunities to see this June moon. Since it’s technically full early Monday morning, our neighbor in the sky will look equally full on Sunday night, June 19 and Monday night, as well.
On solstice, the midday sun reaches its highest point all year. The solstice marks the moment when the sun stands still at its northernmost point as seen from Earth. The day has the most minutes of sunshine, as the sun’s path across the sky makes its long and curvy arc. For kids of all ages who like to shadow box, your opponent at around 1 p.m. will be small, since it’s also the day with the shortest shadow of the year.
