AUDIO: Strawberry Moon in June (1 minute)
Astronomy worth experiencing
Accessed: June 27, 2026, 2:40 p.m.
June is coming to an end, the nights are short and mild โ and the night from June 29 to 30, 2026 is especially worth looking up. Itโs full moon now. Here in central Germany it reaches its full glory on Tuesday evening at 1:57 am (CEST).
Like every month, our constant companion in June received several special nicknames. The most famous is perhaps the strawberry moon. It owes its name to the indigenous peoples of North America because the strawberry season begins in June. In Europe, our ancestors often called it the honeymoon or the pink moon. Both are symbols of the abundance and blossoming that we now see in nature.
Astronomy worth experiencing
Since mid-May, the nights over central Germany no longer become truly dark. Not the best time for photography for amateur astronomers. MDR WISSEN explains more about the astronomical phenomenon.
Because the moon moves very low on the horizon in June, it often shimmers with warm gold or orange tones. An ideal subject for night photography over the skyline of Dresden, Wartburg or another beautiful location in central Germany.
Mini full moon in June
Like the last full moon on May 31st, this time it is also a mini full moon. The average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon is about 384,400 km. However, the Trabant revolves around our planet in an elliptical orbit. On June 28, it reached its farthest point from Earthโits apogee. There are then more than 406,000 km between the centers.
Even if this is a fictitious limit: from a distance of more than 405,000 km they talk about a mini- or micromoon. Its brightness then decreases by about 15 percent and its size decreases by seven percent. All compared to his average size. It cannot be seen with the naked eye. For this you will need astronomical measuring instruments.
Celestial Phenomena Worth Experiencing
Blue glow in the middle of the night? These are not the northern lights, but glowing night clouds. Find out what cosmic dust and minus 150 degrees at the edge of space have to do with MDR WISSEN.
Moon illusion: why the June moon seems especially big
Although June 29, 2026 is a minimoon, it could be especially big this month. Because in June and July the Moon moves very low above the horizon in central Germany. This leads to the so-called moon illusion, in which our brain plays tricks on us. The moon appears much larger near the horizon than it does high in the sky. This is because we lack reference values โโthere. However, on the horizon, we unconsciously compare it with trees, houses and other objects. Our brain then makes it bigger than it really is.
