Strawberry Moon 2020 comes on June 5 and gives fabulous opportunities to moon-gazers

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The Strawberry Moon will rise on June 5, as the new lunar cycle begins in June. This month's Full Moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, originally called the Rose Moon in Europe. Astrologers believe that the Strawberry Moon is a time for healing and letting go of your workload.

Strawberry Moon rising. ©iStockphoto.com/DinoGeromella

On June 5/6 2020, depending on your time zone, the Strawberry Moon may turn a shade darker for residents of Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa, as it imperfecly aligns with the Sun and the Earth during a penumbral lunar eclipse.

In ancient times, it was common to track the changing seasons by following the lunar month rather than the solar year, which the 12 months in our modern calendar are based on, as per the timeanddate.

For millennia, people across Europe, as well as Native American tribes, named the months after features they associated with the Northern Hemisphere seasons, and many of these names are very similar or identical.

The full “Strawberry Moon” will occur at 19:12 UTC on June 5, 2020, which gives moon-gazers two fabulous opportunities to watch the full Moon both set (around dawn) and rise (around dusk).

It may appear pink or red when it is close to the horizon, however, as it is viewed through a much thicker layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

The rare event takes place when the moon is at its closest orbit to Earth, allowing a better view of its craters, basins and other features.

Strawberry Moon 2020 brings its spiritual meaning. (Image: GETTY)

With 2020 being a particularly stressful year, the astrology blog Satin Crystals said the Strawberry Moon is a time to regroup, according to the express.co.uk.

Satin Crystals said: "Regardless of what you want to call it, the June Full Moon is about enjoying the fruits of your labor. While you toiled in strife to plant seeds of success in the spring, summer is here and you get to indulge.

"During this Full Moon, it's critical that you let go of the workload" (Image: GETTY)

"During this Full Moon, it's critical that you let go of the workload mentality and make way for some fun and relaxation. Life is a playground, after all."

The name Strawberry Moon originates from North America, where native tribes associated the rising of the June Moon with the blossoming of berries.

Strawberries are native to North America, and before the 1600s Europe had never heard of the fruit.

Before strawberries were introduced to this side of the pond, the June Full Moon was known as the Rose Moon due to the blossoming of roses.

According to the Royal Greenwich Observatory, the Strawberry Moon will rise at 8.12pm in the UK (Image: GETTY)

The Farmer's Almanac said: "At this time of year, when spring turns to summer and the flowers of May begin to fade, berries burst forth from bushes.

"To the Algonquin tribes who once roamed much of North America, June was synonymous with strawberries.

"This sweet, tangy and nutritious wild food staple was only available for a short time each year.

"So June's full Moon naturally came to be known as the Strawberry Moon, a name that was universal to every tribe.

The phases of the Moon (Image: EXPRESS)

The Full Moon phase marks the exact moment the Moon’s Earth-facing side is totally illuminated by the Sun.

The full Strawberry Moon rises over Manhattan in this photo taken by John Entwistle on June 9, 2017. (Image credit: John Entwistle)

As the Moon orbits both the Earth and the Sun, different amounts of the side of the Moon we see are lit up.

This shifting luminescence is called the Lunar Cycle, which lasts approximately 29.5 days from one New Moon to the next.

Moon rising over a field of strawberries (Image: GETTY)

What are the full Moons of 2020?

Here are all of the 13 named Full Moons you should look out for this year:

January 10 - Full Wolf Moon

February 9 - Full Snow Moon

March 9 - Full Worm Moon

April 8 - Full Pink Moon

May 7 - Full Flower Moon

June 5 - Full Strawberry Moon

July 5 - Full Buck Moon

August 3 - Full Sturgeon Moon

September 2 - Full Corn Moon

October 1 - Full Hunter’s Moon

October 31 - Blue Moon

November 30 - Full Beaver’s Moon

December 30 - Full Cold Moon

When to see the ‘Strawberry Moon’

Find out the exact times of moonset and moonrise on Friday for your location. Here are some sample times for three cities:

• London: 5:15 a.m. BST and 9:01 p.m. BST
• New York: 5:18 a.m. ET and 8:23 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles: 5:37 a.m PT and 8:17 p.m. PT

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