Pennsylvanians will be able to catch a ‘strawberry moon’ rising soon. When to look up

Meredith Howard
·2 min read

Central Pennsylvania residents can kick off the first weekend in June with a popular full moon, and there are two evenings where it will appear full and forecasters expect a mostly clear night sky.

The “strawberry moon” will appear full from Friday evening to Monday morning. This particular moon is also known by several other names.

The name “strawberry moon” is attributed to the Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It marks the peak of strawberry harvest season.

Here are some of the other names for June’s full moon, from The Old Farmer’s Almanac:

  • Blooming moon (attributed to the Anishinaabe)

  • Green corn moon (Cherokee)

  • Hoer moon (Western Abenaki)

  • Birth moon (Tlingit)

  • Egg laying moon (Cree)

  • Hatching moon (Cree)

  • Honey moon (European)

  • Mead moon (Eurpoean)

Here’s when to see this year’s strawberry moon in the State College area, plus when to catch more full moons in 2023.

When can you see the strawberry moon in State College?

The 2023 strawberry moon will peak at 11:42 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Saturday, according to NASA, and it will appear full from Friday evening to Monday morning.

State College-area residents may want to look for this full moon Friday or Sunday evening, as Saturday’s forecast indicates mostly cloudy conditions.

Friday night should be partly cloudy in State College, according to National Weather Service meteorologists, with a low around 62 degrees. Sunday night should be a bit better as it is forecast to be mostly clear with a low around 51 degrees.

The moon will rise at 7:22 p.m. in State College Friday, according to timeanddate.com. Sunday night’s moonrise will be at 9:50 p.m.

When to see more full moons this year

Here’s when to see the rest of 2023’s full moons, from Space.com:

  • July 3: Buck supermoon

  • Aug. 1: Sturgeon supermoon

  • Aug. 30: Blue supermoon (appears biggest and brightest of the year)

  • Sept. 29: Harvest supermoon

  • Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon

  • Nov. 27: Beaver moon

  • Dec. 26: Cold moon

The Blue supermoon will be August’s second full moon, and Forbes says the best times to see it will be the evenings of Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.

These moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Farmers’ Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.

The Central Pennsylvania Observers, a local astronomy club, will hold a free skywatch event from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday at Tudek Park.