A ‘strawberry moon’ will soon rise over IL. Here’s the best night to catch a glimpse

Meredith Howard
·2 min read

Southwest Illinois residents can kick off the first weekend in June with a popular full moon, and weather conditions might just be perfect to stargaze.

The “strawberry moon” will appear full from Friday evening to Monday morning. This 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 Belleville area, plus when to catch more full moons in 2023.

When can you see the strawberry moon in Belleville?

The 2023 strawberry moon will peak at 10:42 p.m. Central Standard Time Saturday, according to NASA, and it will appear full from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Belleville-area residents should be able to enjoy ideal viewing conditions Saturday night, as National Weather Service meteorologists forecast a “mostly clear” night sky with a low around 69 degrees.

The moon will rise at 8:20 p.m. in Belleville Saturday, according to timeanddate.com.

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.