Did You Catch the Strawberry Moon?

I did, and here is my picture

We’ve been reading about the Strawberry Moon. The name got our attention. We like strawberries and grow them, sometimes successfully, in our garden. The prospect of a Strawberry Moon was too much for us to ignore. So, we timed its rise on our horizon, and I took a few pictures.

What is a Strawberry Moon?

You are not alone if you are not an expert in Strawberry Moons. I had heard the term repeatedly, but for various reasons, I had not sought one out. When the news was filled with stories about this year’s Strawberry Moon, my interest was awakened.

I wanted to know more about this moon. I suspected it had little to do with this year’s successful strawberry crop. But I had not seen a strawberry-colored moon. I wanted to see one.

Before venturing out, camera in hand, I went to the one web resource I knew I could trust — NASA. Here’s what our friends at Cape Canaveral say:

The “Strawberry Moon”, as the last full Moon of Spring or the first full Moon of Summer is called, gained its name from the time of year when berries ripen. The name however doesn’t necessarily imply the Moon is red, though it does appear a reddish color when rising or setting. The Moon will appear full for about three days from early Wednesday morning through early Saturday morning. This year the Strawberry Moon is closer and larger than an average full Moon. When we have such a large bright Moon, it is sometimes called a Super Moon.

This photographer vs. NASA

If you have any doubt about who will win this one, please stop reading. NASA wins. I’m good with that, and so should you.

Forgive me if the photo from NASA, obviously far better than my own, doesn’t look at all like what you might think a Strawberry Moon should look like. Forgive them. After all, they plan to land more people, including the first woman, on the moon by 2024, or more realistically, a couple of years later.

In any case, I am grateful for this year’s strawberry moon. I hope you had an opportunity to see it yourself.

About the Photography

My picture of the Strawberry Moon was taken with my Nikon Z7 using my AF-S Nikkor 200–500/1:5.6E ED lens, using the Nikon FTZ adapter. I used a monopod, which compromised the stability of my shots. A tripod capable of carrying the weight of the camera and lens would have produced a better picture.