Star-gazers and fans of astronomical phenomena, listen up! A full strawberry moon will rise low above Hong Kong tomorrow, appearing especially large to viewers all over the world as it will be near the horizon.
At 3.44pm on Wednesday, June 11, the strawberry moon will rise from the southeast. It will then move across the sky close to the southern horizon before setting in the southeast – this is why the moon will appear bigger. When the moon is nearer to the horizon rather than higher in the sky, it gives rise to the optical illusion called the big moon effect or moon illusion, even though the planetary body obviously remains the same size regardless of its position.
This strawberry moon is particularly noteworthy as we are currently in a rare two-year period known as a major lunar standstill or the lunistice. Occurring once every 18 years or so, the last time we’ve had such a low-hanging full moon was back in 2006, and the next time will be in 2043.
For us in Hong Kong, this fruity moon will occur during the afternoon in broad daylight, so the luminous orange orb might not appear quite as striking compared to the view from other parts of the world. Also, it’s best to temper your expectations now with the fact that a strawberry moon is not actually pink or red. Its name actually comes from the traditions of early farmers who associated the full moon in June with the ripening of strawberry crops.
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