Tonight's full moon will be the lowest since 2006. Why it's called the 'strawberry moon' — and how you can best view it.

Look up at the sky tonight, and you could be rewarded with a rare sighting: the so-called strawberry moon. Also known as June’s full moon, the strawberry moon earned its name because it takes place during the time of year when strawberries are ripe and ready for harvest. This year, the strawberry moon will be at its lowest point in nearly two decades and will reach full illumination in the early hours of June 11.

Here’s what stargazers should know ahead of the strawberry moon’s appearance.

🍓 What is the strawberry moon?

Named by Native American Algonquian tribes, the strawberry moon refers to June’s full moon, which takes place after the brief fruit harvesting season that coincides with its annual appearance. While the moon’s nickname isn’t a specific reference to its color, there’s a high likelihood that it will have a reddish hue when it nears the horizon.

“The origin of the name ‘Strawberry Moon’ has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or experience,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. “A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere.”

The nickname given to June’s full moon varies based on tribes. The Haida people, an Indigenous group in the Pacific Northwest, refer to it as the “berries ripen moon,” while the Muscogee call it the “blackberry moon” and the Shawnee tribe know it as the “raspberry moon."

🌟 Why is the strawberry moon special this year?

In the Northern Hemisphere, June’s full moon will reach its lowest point all year. This year, however, the strawberry moon will be the lowest full moon in nearly two decades, due to what’s called a “major lunar standstill” — a phenomenon that occurs every 18.6 years, in which the moon reaches its furthest northern and southern points in the sky. The last major lunar standstill, according to CNN, occurred in 2006.

“The June full moon always rides low, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because a full moon stays more or less opposite the sun. Its nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime arc of the sun from six months ago, and six months hence,” according to EarthSky.

Tonight, and into the early hours of tomorrow, June 11, we’re expected to see the lowest full moon until 2043.

🔭 When’s the best time to view the strawberry moon?

The full moon, according to the BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine, will rise just after sunset on June 10 and will reach its brightest point in the early hours of June 11. While a moonrise calculator can help provide a more accurate viewing time, the strawberry moon is expected to be at its brightest and fullest at 3:44 a.m. ET on June 11, according to EarthSky.

🌃 What’s the best way to view the strawberry moon?

Because the strawberry moon will appear low in the sky, USA Today suggests going to an outdoor location where the eastern horizon is visible at a low angle. No protective eyewear is required to view June’s full moon, but binoculars may enhance your view of it.

To optimize your smartphone photos of the full moon, Forbes suggests turning off the flash, turning on HDR mode and refraining from zooming in because it distorts the details.

🌌 What else can I see in June?

The center of the Milky Way will also appear near the strawberry moon, per NASA. June to August is recognized as “Core Season” because the spiral galaxy’s core is visible to stargazers. During this period, the Milky Way will be visible as a hazy band spanning across the sky.

In addition to “Core Season,” NASA reports that Mars, Jupiter and Mercury will also be visible throughout the month of June:

• Venus: Visible around two hours before the sun rises, and will shine “very brightly, low in the eastern sky” in the morning all month long

• Mars: Visible for a few hours after sunset the whole month, and will drop lower in the sky as June progresses

• Jupiter: Visible low in the west after sunset during the first week of June, and will reappear in the morning sky in July

• Mercury: Visible “low in the west” 30-45 minutes after sunset during the last week and a half of the month

• Saturn: Will rise at approximately 3 a.m. at the beginning of the month and 1 a.m. at the end of the month