Strawberry Supermoon: Exactly When, Where And How You Can See 2022’s Biggest Full Moon Rise With Naked Eyes

Are you ready for the biggest full Moon of the year?

Dusk on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 is when to be looking to the eastern horizon because that’s exactly when a “Super Strawberry Moon”—a full Moon and a “supermoon”—will appear in gorgeous orangey hues.

This “Super Full Moon” is arguably the lunar event of the year save for the twin total lunar eclipses of May and November.

Named after the fruit currently in season in the southern hemisphere, June’s full Moon is also sometimes called the “Hot Moon,” Mead Moon” and “Rose Moon.”

Here’s everything you need about when, where and how to see the “Strawberry Moon” at its biggest, brightest and best—with just your own naked eyes:

When is the ‘Strawberry Moon?’

The “Strawberry Super Moon” will occur on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 11:52 Universal Time. That’s the precise time it will be 100% illuminated by the Sun, though it will appear to the eye to be full—or thereabouts—for a couple of nights before and after. You can look at the Moon any day this week and it will look big and bright—and be “up” most of the night.

So what’s the fuss about seeing it at a particular time? Moonrise. Only on the night of the full Moon is it possible to see the Moon appear on the horizon during dusk. Since it rises about 50 minutes later each night it rises during the day just before the full Moon and after dark after the full Moon. The impact is lost.

The Moon always looks at its delicate best during moonrise and moonset close to the time of it being at its “full” phase.

Best time to see the ‘Strawberry Moon’

Here are the best times to see June’s “Strawberry Moon” from a few key cities, but do check the exact times of moonrise and moonset for your location.

Just after sunset on Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Tuesday evening offers the best opportunity to see the full “Strawberry Moon” rise into a twilight sky:

• In New York sunset is at 8:28 p.m. EDT and moonrise is at 9:16 p.m. EDT (the moment of full Moon is at 6:53 a.m.EDT).
• In Los Angeles sunset is at 8:05 p.m. PDT and moonrise at 8:57 p.m. PDT (the moment of full Moon is at 3:53 a.m. PDT).
• In London sunset is at 9:18 p.m. BST and moonrise at 10:02 p.m. BST (the moment of full Moon is at 11:53 a.m. BST).

Where to see the ‘Strawberry Moon’

The full Moon always rises in the east at dusk (opposite a sunset, or thereabouts) and sets in the west the following morning (opposite a sunrise).

Get yourself to an observing location that has a clear unobstructed view low to the eastern horizon.

How to see the ‘Strawberry Moon’

The final full Moon of the northern hemisphere’s spring season, the “Strawberry Moon” will rise in the east just after sunset, shine brightly all night and then set in the west close to sunrise.

You don’t need anything except good timing and your own naked eyes to enjoy a full moonrise, though if you do have a a pair of binoculars do have them ready for a stunning close-up.

Is the ‘Strawberry Moon’ a supermoon?

June’s full Moon occurs close to the Moon’s perigee—the point in space when it’s closest to the Earth during its monthly orbit—which will make the Moon appear about 7% larger than average, though more noticeable will be its extra brightness once it’s risen high into the sky.

At 222,238 miles/357,658 kilometers distant it’s actually the closest full Moon of the year, making it the biggest and the brightest of the year—a bone fide “supermoon!” It will mean a particularly high perigean spring tide—a.k.a. a “king tide—so brings the threat of flooding to coastal areas.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.