"Strawberry moon," the last supermoon of 2021, captured in incredible photos from around the world
Astrophotographers around the world didn't miss their chance on Thursday to capture the final supermoon of the year, a full moon dubbed the "strawberry moon" after the season when it takes place. And the images are spectacular.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth in its orbit. Scientists say it appears larger and brighter than a typical full moon, but they have yet to agree on exactly how to officially classify the celestial phenomenon, so there is some disagreement as to whether June's moon could actually be called a supermoon.
"For 2021, some publications consider the four full Moons from March to June, some the three full Moons from April to June, and some only the two full Moons in April and May as supermoons," NASA's Gordon Johnston said.
The June full moon is often called the strawberry moon, named by Native American tribes for the strawberries harvested in parts of North America during this time of year, according to the Farmer's Almanac. It has also been called the blooming moon, green corn moon, hoer moon, birth moon, egg laying moon and hatching moon, honey moon and mead moon.
The first full moon of the summer reached peak illumination on Thursday, June 24, at 2:40 p.m. ET. It appears full for about three days surrounding this time, from about Wednesday morning through Saturday morning.
While the name of June's full moon doesn't actually refer to its color, it can be seen as a pinkish hue during moonrise and moonset.
Turkey
Brazil
Greece
Spain
New York City
Washington, D.C.
Russia
Egypt
Kuwait
Australia
