The full moon typically shines as the brightest feature in the night sky, yet full moons vary in size and position. June brings the Strawberry Moon, serving as the third and final micro moon of 2026, visible on June 29. A micro moon forms when a full or new moon coincides with the moon reaching apogee, its greatest distance from Earth.

This Strawberry Moon achieves maximum brightness at 7:56 p.m. ET on that date, occurring while daylight persists across North America. Viewers should look for it in the evening after sunset. It will ascend from the southeastern sky shortly after the sun dips below the horizon and travel across the southern sky before descending in the southwest near dawn.

One of the least friendly moons to watch

You might observe that the Strawberry Moon stays relatively low this month. This is typical because June's full moon ranks as the lowest of the year, resulting from the same factors that produce the summer solstice. Earth tilts on its axis, and at the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere leans toward the sun, placing it higher overhead than usual.

The effect applies to the moon in an opposite manner, as it always faces away from the sun. Thus, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the moon, making it appear lower than average. While not as low as the previous year's Strawberry Moon, which set records for its minimal height in decades, areas with dense trees could obscure the view.

Additionally, June's full moon concludes the year's micro moons. Being at apogee renders it smaller than average. The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth, bringing it nearer at perigee and farther at apogee.

At apogee, the moon appears roughly 7 percent smaller than a standard full moon and about 14 percent smaller than a supermoon. Despite this, it remains the brightest object visible at night, though locating it may require moving to an open spot free of obstructions like trees.