A rare 'strawberry moon' appeared in the sky and it was stunning

The rare sight hasn't happened during the solstice since 1967.
 By 
Rachel Thompson
 on 
A rare 'strawberry moon' appeared in the sky and it was stunning
A strawberry moon coincided with the summer solstice for the first time since 1967. Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

LONDON -- On Monday night, as crowds gathered to celebrate the summer solstice -- the longest day of the year -- something pretty rare occurred. In fact, this once-a-year phenomenon was upstaged by a nearly once-in-a-lifetime event. 

For the first time since 1967, the summer solstice coincided with a full moon; or a "strawberry moon." And, according to astronomers, the full moon won't appear again on the solstice until 2062. So, it'll be a bit of a wait -- 46 years, to be precise. 

Despite its name, a strawberry moon doesn't bear any resemblance to a strawberry. A strawberry moon refers to a full moon that occurs in the month of June, and it was given its name by Algonquin tribes in North America as it marks the start of strawberry picking season. 


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Here are some of the most striking photos of the strawberry moon occurring during this year's summer solstice.

The strawberry moon was spotted hovering above London on Monday night.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable


Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Some captured photos of the moon in Merseyside in the north of England. 

The moon looked pretty spectacular as it rose behind Glastonbury Tor in southwest England. 


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A full moon rises behind Glastonbury Tor as people gather to celebrate the summer solstice on June 20, 2016 in Somerset, England. Credit: Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The moon appeared to have an amber glow to it as it rose in the sky about Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire. 



And people captured the rare sight on the Northumberland coastline. 


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Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.

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