Strawberry Full Moon: How and when to see it

WASHINGTON - The beginning of June marks prime strawberry picking season, which is why this month's Full Moon is named the Strawberry Full Moon!

Historic Algonquin Native American tribes established the name of the Strawberry Full Moon because of the importance of strawberries in their culture, as the leaves and roots were often used for medical treatment. The moon does not look red during this event, despite including "strawberry" in its name.

According to EarthSky.org, the Strawberry Full Moon peaks Friday morning, June 9, at 9:10 AM, but the moon won't be visible at this time because it will be below the horizon. The best time to view this festive Full Moon in the DC area is Friday morning around sunrise, which is at 5:43 am. If you're not an early riser, the second best time to view it is around sunset Thursday, which is at 8:32 pm.

This full moon is no supermoon. In fact, you could call it a "minimoon."

The moon should have a bright color as it passes over the horizon, and it will look slightly smaller than it usually does because it will be near apogee, which is when the moon is farthest from the Earth. Viewing conditions should be pretty good Thursday in the DC area, with only isolated clouds around by sunset.

Those in the mountains of West Virginia may have to deal with spotty showers tonight, as shown by our Futurecast model. Overall, it should be a good night for a Strawberry Moon watch party!

If you snap any photos, be sure to send them to us @fox5weather and @fox5dc on Twitter, @fox5dc on Instagram, or post them on our FOX 5 DC Facebook page. Happy moon watching!