June Full Moon 2025: The Moon’s Most Extreme Path in 18 Years
On June 11, 2025, the Full Strawberry Moon will grace the night sky — but this one comes with a twist! In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the lowest Full Moon until 2043, staying unusually close to the horizon. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the highest Full Moon until 2043. Curious to see how it will appear in the sky from your location? Track the Moon easily with the free Sky Tonight app. Now, let’s explore why this Moon hangs so low and what else makes it special!
Contents
- When is the Full Moon in June 2025?
- June Full Moon in the “13th zodiac constellation” Ophiuchus
- Solstice and Lunistice: June Full Moon is the most “extreme” Full Moon in 18.6 years!
- What is the June Full Moon called?
- When is the next Full Moon?
- June Full Moon 2025: bottom line
When is the Full Moon in June 2025?
The Moon will be full on June 11 at 07:44 GMT. It is the last Full Moon before the June solstice on June 21, which marks the start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
Moon phases in June 2025
- First Quarter: June 3, 03:41 GMT
- Full Moon: June 11, 07:44 GMT
- Last Quarter: June 18, 19:19 GMT
- New Moon: June 25, 10:31 GMT
New Moon in June 2025
As stunning as the Full Moon is, it’s actually the worst time for stargazing! Its bright light washes out fainter celestial objects. The best time to observe the night sky is during the New Moon, when the sky is darkest.
The New Moon in June will take place on June 25, at 10:31 GMT. Around this time, you can spot some June Bootid meteors. Want to know what else you can see from your location on the New Moon night? Use the Visible Tonight feature in the Sky Tonight app to get a personalized stargazing guide!
June Full Moon in the “13th zodiac constellation” Ophiuchus
The June Full Moon can be in Scorpius, Ophiuchus, or Sagittarius. In 2025, it will shine in the constellation Ophiuchus, which is sometimes called the 13th constellation of the zodiac because it's located along the Sun's annual path across the sky, just like the other 12 constellations. However, Ophiuchus is not a member of the zodiac family. Learn more about zodiac constellations and how they relate to the zodiac signs in our dedicated article. And if you are up for a challenge, test your zodiac knowledge with the quiz!
Bright star next to the June Full Moon
On June 10, a day before the Full Moon, the Moon will pass near Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius. Their closest approach will be at 11:01 GMT, with a separation of 0°17'. In some areas, the Moon will even cover Antares, an event called lunar occultation.
If you miss the meet-up on June 10, don’t worry! The Moon and Antares will still shine close together on the Full Moon’s night.
Solstice and Lunistice: June Full Moon is the most “extreme” Full Moon in 18.6 years!
The June Full Moon is the closest Full Moon to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (June 21), making it the lowest Full Moon of the year. Similarly, the closest Full Moon to the winter solstice is the highest of the year.
But this year it’s even more special! The June Full Moon 2025 will be the lowest Full Moon in 18.6 years in the Northern Hemisphere! It will also rise and set at its most southeasterly and southwesterly points in the sky.
Note that in the Southern Hemisphere, the situation is reversed, so the June Full Moon will be the highest Full Moon in that part of the world, and the lowest Full Moon will occur on December 5, 2025.
Why is this happening? Just like the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky at the summer solstice and lowest at the winter solstice, the Moon also has its “ups and downs” — but its movement is more complex. The Moon’s orbit is tilted by 5.1° relative to the ecliptic, and since the ecliptic is already tilted 23.4° from the celestial equator, the Moon can go as far as +28.7° north or -28.7° south in the sky. It's further than the Sun can ever get.
If these celestial mechanics seem tricky to picture, take a look at our infographic on celestial coordinates.
When the Moon reaches the extreme positions, its rising and setting points stop shifting for a while and reverse direction — this is called a lunar standstill or lunistice, and it happens twice every month. However, the Sun’s gravity also slowly shifts the Moon’s orbit westward by about 19° per year. Over 18.6 years, this movement completes a full cycle, affecting how high or low the Moon appears. The extremes reached over this cycle are called the minor and major lunar standstills.
Right now, we are in the 2024–2025 major lunar standstill season, meaning the Moon is reaching its most extreme points in the sky. Because of this, the June Full Moon of 2025 will be the lowest Full Moon in 18.6 years in the Northern Hemisphere. It will reach a declination as low as -28°24.1', staying very low near the horizon. The Moon will shine through the thick layer of air and appear golden, orange, or even reddish. It will also appear much bigger due to the effect called Moon illusion. Don't miss it, the Full Moon won't hang this low again until June 2043!.
In addition, the highest Full Moon in the Northern Hemisphere will occur on December 5, 2025. At this point, the Moon will stay as high as +28°15.9' from the celestial equator.
What is the June Full Moon called?
Strawberry Moon meaning
Strawberry Moon is one of the traditional names for the June Full Moon used by Native Americans — for them, June was the strawberry harvesting season. So the name is not based on the characteristics of the lunar appearance, but on the characteristics of the month. If you look at the names of other Full Moons, you'll see that they're also related to the natural characteristics of a particular month.
Astrologers believe that the Strawberry Moon is a symbol of love, purity, and prosperity. They also believe that the June Full Moon represents a desire for change, flexibility, and exploration since it's in the sign of Sagittarius. However, the Full Moon’s constellation can vary from year to year — in 2025, the June Full Moon is in Ophiuchus. You can check the Moon's location yourself using Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2.
Though the name evokes associations with pink and red strawberries, it has nothing to do with the June Full Moon’s color. It will most likely be golden-orange or white – the same color as any other Full Moon. However, it may appear reddish – for the same reason the Sun looks red while rising and setting.
June Full Moon alternative names
Although the Native American name “Strawberry Moon” became the most popular, in Europe, the June Full Moon was called the Rose Moon – maybe because roses bloom this month or because the June Full Moon sometimes looks pink (we’ve described this phenomenon below).
Another European name was the Mead Moon or the Honey Moon, as June was also the season of harvesting honey. Perhaps the tradition of calling the first month of marriage “honeymoon” originated from this name since June was believed to be the best month for a wedding.
In Sri Lanka, the national festival called Poson Poya aligns with the June Full Moon. On this day, the people of Sri Lanka commemorate the introduction of Buddhism to the island. It is the second important Buddhist holiday after Vesak (Buddha Day).
A Hindu festival Vat Purnima is also celebrated during the Full Moon in June. On this day, married women keep a fast, tie threads around a banyan tree, and pray for the well-being of their husbands.
There are also various names made up by other cultures:
- Chinese: Lotus Moon;
- Celtic: Moon of Horses;
- Wiccan: Dyad Moon;
- Cherokee: Green Corn Moon;
- Southern Hemisphere: Oak Moon, Cold Moon, Long Night’s Moon.
Some NASA employees have their own name for the June Full Moon. They call it the “LRO Moon” in honor of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched in June 2009.
Honey Moon
In the Northern Hemisphere, the June Full Moon of 2025 will be the lowest in 18.6 years! Since it will stay close to the horizon, it will appear larger than usual due to the Moon illusion and take on a golden or reddish glow because of atmospheric refraction — much like the Sun at sunrise or sunset.
This warm golden color makes the name Honey Moon especially fitting. But there's more to it than just its appearance!
The Mead Moon or Honey Moon is an old European name for the June Full Moon, with records going back to at least the 1500s. The reason for this is that June was the time for harvesting honey, making this Full Moon the "sweetest" of the year. The term "honeymoon" is also linked to this, as June has long been a traditional month for weddings.
With its golden glow and historic roots, the June Full Moon of 2025 truly lives up to its name — the perfect Honey Moon!
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon, called the Buck Moon, will grace the sky on July 10, 2025. Delve into the details about its name and unique features in our dedicated article. Also, explore our colorful infographic showcasing the dates and names of the next Full Moons in 2025. And don't miss out on other celestial wonders — keep an eye on notifications from the Sky Tonight app for exciting astronomical events!
When is the next Strawberry Moon?
The Strawberry Moon is the Full Moon that occurs in June. This year’s Strawberry Moon is on June 11 at 07:44 GMT. The next Strawberry Moon will take place next year, on June 29, 2026. It will also be the closest Full Moon to the June solstice, which will occur on June 21, 2026.
June Full Moon 2025: bottom line
The Full Strawberry Moon in 2025 will shine on June 11 at 07:44 GMT. Traditionally named by Native American tribes for the strawberry harvest, this Moon also carries the old European name Honey Moon. This year, it truly lives up to that name — it will be the lowest Full Moon in 18.6 years, hanging very low on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere and taking on a golden glow, just like honey. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the highest Full Moon in 18.6 years, soaring high overhead. Don’t miss this rare celestial event! To see all of 2025’s Full Moons, visit our Full Moon calendar. Happy Moon-gazing!
