Strawberry Moon: How To See The June Full Moon In San Rafael

SAN RAFAEL, CA — Skywatchers in San Rafael will be rewarded with a sweet treat this week when the Strawberry Moon makes an appearance.

The last supermoon of 2021, it will rise in the sky this Thursday. Despite its name, the moon will be large and gold in color as it rises above the horizon.

The moon is expected to hit peak illumination at 11:40 p.m. PDT, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Expect the Strawberry Moon to rise in San Rafael at approximately 9 p.m Thursday and set at 6:30 a.m. Friday, according to timeanddate.com.

Forecasts predict Thursday will be clear over most of the Bay Area, but coastal areas may be impacted by the marine layer.

The Strawberry Moon is 2021's last supermoon, according to NASA. It is called a supermoon because the moon comes closest to Earth and looks bigger and brighter than usual.
June's full moon — typically the last full moon of spring or the first of summer—is traditionally called the Strawberry Moon. But how did it get that name?

This name has been used by the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota tribes, among others, to mark the ripening of "June-bearing" strawberries that are ready to be gathered, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Also called the Berries Ripen Moon, Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon or Hoer Moon, each name reflects how June is a month where flowers bloom and early fruit ripens.

Patch editors Megan VerHelst and Chris Mosby contributed to this story.