As the sun sinks beneath the horizon on the longest day of the year on the evening of Monday June 20, it will be worth looking up.
For the first time since 1967 the summer solstice coincides with a rare ‘strawberry’ moon and, clouds willing, the 17 hours of sunlight will give way to a bright moonlit sky.
Despite the name, the moon will not appear pink or red, although it may glow a warm amber. The romantic label was coined by the Algonquin tribes of North America who believed June’s full moon signalled the beginning of the strawberry picking season.
Other names for the phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere include Rose Moon, the Hot Moon, and the Honey Moon, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is known as the Long Night Moon.
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The last strawberry moon occurring on the solstice occurred on June 22 1967. If you miss Monday's you'll have to wait another 46 years before you can see the full moon on the summer solstice with the rare event not happening again until June 21, 2062
