First off, the solstice marks the first official day of summer.
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The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. During summer, the northern hemisphere tilts toward the sun, meaning its rays are directed almost straight down instead of at an angle. The June full moon has also been called the “honey moon” because the summer month is so popular with Northern Hemisphere weddings.
Skywatchers rejoice! Tonight’s summer solstice just happens to coincide with June’s full moon, a rare celestial event that happens just once in a generation, usually.
But Monday night’s full moon will track much lower, appearing only about 35 degrees above the southern horizon when it’s highest around 1:55 a.m. early Tuesday morning.
Astrologers claim the phenomenon is ripe with significance, but still can’t predict it without the help of actual calculations.
If you want to watch the summer solstice and the full moon tonight to check out the color, the exact timing isn’t crucial.
The last strawberry moon occurring on the summer solstice occurred on June 22 1967. This represents the moment at which the sun’s direct rays are over the Tropic of Cancer at about 23½º north latitude, the northernmost reach of the sun’s rays. Standing at the Sphinx on the summer solstice, and looking toward the two pyramids, you can see the sun set exactly between them. June’s full moon is nicknamed the Strawberry Moon, because according to the Farmer’s Almanac, Algonquin First Nations knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit. But since strawberries didn’t originally grow in Europe, people there called it the full rose moon. This is where the word solstice comes from; the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop). People travel by the thousands to see the sunrise on the solstice at Stonehenge. The longest day of the year in the northern Hemisphere will be celebrated with drumming and ceremony.
The shortest day of the year lasts for 7 hours 49 minutes and 41 seconds in Britain. The next time a full moon and the summer solstice occur on the same day will be June 21, 2062.
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The amount of daylight will stay about that length for a few more days before slowing shrinking each day until the winter solstice in late December.
