Look up! The Strawberry Moon will shine bright tonight - USA TODAY

Doyle Rice USA TODAY

Published 11:56 AM EDT Jun 17, 2019

Be sure to look up from your phones for a few minutes tonight to see the Strawberry Moon, which will be visible from sundown to sunrise.

Although the moon was officially full earlier this morning, it'll still look plenty big when it rises tonight in the eastern sky, about the same time as the sun is setting in the western sky.

June's full moon is called the Strawberry mMoon because it signaled to some Native American tribes that it was the time of year to gather ripening wild strawberries, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

The Strawberry Moon is the most colorful of the year because it takes a low, shallow path across the sky, said Bob Bonadurer, director of the Milwaukee Public Museum's planetarium.

The low arc of the June full moon across the sky means moonlight must travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere, which gives it an orange or yellow tint.

For the best view, take a look while the moon is still low on your horizon, says CNN meteorologist Judson Jones. "My favorite time to watch the full moon is as it is rising over the eastern horizon. When the moon is low on the horizon, it allows you to capture the view with objects in the foreground, making the moon appear bigger," Jones said.

The Strawberry Moon is also called Hot Moon because it's the beginning of summer and Rose Moon, Honey Moon and Hay Moon because it's the time of the first hay harvest.

More sky fun:: Jupiter's moons will be visible with binoculars

Another treat for skywatchers tonight is Jupiter, which will be shining brightly in the night sky not far from the moon. Jupiter is so bright this month because it's as close to Earth as it ever gets. This annual event is officially known as "opposition," when Jupiter, Earth and the sun are arranged in a straight line with Earth in the middle, according to NASA.

Contributing: Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

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