Summer is finally upon us and summer solstice 2016 has officially arrived on Monday, June 20.
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June 20 not only ushered in the longest day of the year and the official start to summer, but those who lifted their eyes to the sky after sunset were treated to a rising Strawberry Moon, in-cloud lightning flashing at us from a storm over in, and a fantastic sherbet-colored sunset.
Algonquin tribes believed June’s full moon meant it was time to start picking fruits such as strawberries, thus the nickname, AccuWeather reported.
In addition to that, contrary to its name, the strawberry moon is not pink or red.
As the full moon rose on the Summer Solstice on June 20, photographers around the world prepared to capture a rare event: The “Strawberry Moon”. And it won’t happen again until June 21, 2062, the website states.
Where strawberries weren’t native, it had been referred to as the Long Night Moon (romantic!), and the Rose Moon or Honey Moon (for its color-did you see that golden sunset it mingled with on Monday?).
“In 2035, the full moon will hit one day before the solstice”.
Why is this Full Moon called a Strawberry Moon?
It has links to many ancient cultural practices as different cultures have celebrated it being symbolic of renewal, fertility and harvest.
Although the country had a cloudy weather, photographer, Andrew Cleland captured the strawberry moon over Johannesburg which was shared thousands of times across the social platforms.
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And the two events coincide only once every 70 years.
