Strawberry Moon
THE STRAWBERRY FULL MOON: According
to folklore, tonight's full Moon is the Strawberry Moon, named after
plants that bear their delicious red fruit during the month of June. But
if this is really the Strawberry Moon, why does it look so ... orange? John Stetson photographed the carotene-colored orb setting over Sebago Lake, Maine, on June 8th:
The orange color is imprinted by the
atmosphere. When the Moon is hanging low, airborne
dust and other particles scatter blue from moonlight, leaving only red and orange hues. Something else happens when the Moon is hanging low: The Moon Illusion magnifies the apparent size of the orb. It looks huge. Some commentators have pointed out that the June 9th Strawberry Moon is a "mini-Moon" because it is located on the distant apogee side of the Moon's elliptical orbit. Apogee is no match for the Moon Illusion, though. Look for the Strawberry Moon rising in the east at sunset. It's a huge delight.
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