Today (June 14, 2022) the world is all set to witness a ‘Strawberry Moon’. At 7.51 am Eastern Daylight Time, which is 5.22 pm IST, the Moon will be at its closest point in its orbit around the Earth. This will make it appear like a ‘supermoon’, which makes the inhabitants of planet Earth appear bigger and brighter.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), June Purnima, which is celebrated as “Vat Purnima” in India, is visible opposite the Sun at Earth-based longitude at 7:52 a.m. EDT (5:22 a.m. IST). Will give ) on 14 June.
What is Strawberry Moon?
Well Strawberry Moon doesn’t look like a strawberry! According to NASA, the Algonquin tribes of the US and Canada named the full moon Strawberry Moon after a plant abundant in the area. Some NASA reports suggest that the ‘Strawberry Moon’ is also known as the Mead Moon or Honeymoon. This will be the first of three summer supermoons.
For Americans, the Strawberry Moon marks the last full moon of spring or the first full moon of summer.
Watch Strawberry Moon Online
According to news reports, the Virtual Telescope Project in Secano, Italy will host a free livestream of the full moon on Tuesday. The webcast will begin at 3.15 pm EDT (12.45 am IST). The full moon will reach its peak on June 14 at around 5.22 pm. However, it will not change its appearance overnight, so it can be seen at any time.
Poornima and India Connection
June Purnima is known as Vat Purnima, a Hindu festival in India. According to the legend of Savitri and Satyavan, the former, a devout wife, deceived Yama Raj – the Hindu god of death and justice – to give her husband a new life. Hence Savitri is worshiped on the day of Vat Purnima. On this day, married women observe a fast and pray for the long life of their husbands.
What is Supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach. Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as “perigee”. During each 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches its farthest point, or apogee, both at a distance of about 2,26,000 miles from Earth, and about 2,51,000 miles from Earth. In this phase the Moon looks bigger and brighter than usual.
Full Moon Calendar of 2022
The old Farmers’ Almanac says that there will be six more full moon events this year:
July 13: Buck Moon; August 11: Sturgeon Moon; September 10: Harvest Moon; October 9: Hunter’s Moon; November 8: Beaver Moon;
December 7th: cold moon