Space enthusiasts look up, the strawberry supermoon will be visible in the UAE on the 14th of June!
You may have noticed the moon’s brightness or size appearing slightly larger recently, this is because the moon is approaching the nearest point to the Earth in its orbit. Each year as the moon travels with us around the sun and takes its own elliptical orbit journey around the Earth until it reaches the perigee point, which is the term for the closest point to the Earth.
This phenomenon makes the moon appear much larger than usual in the night sky and is an event that can be viewed by the naked eye, without the use of a telescope. The name for this particular event is called the strawberry moon, although other names given are honeymoon or hot moon. However, the moon won’t actually turn into a red colour unless viewed on the horizon as it rises up from below the Earth. If dark enough, at this point you may see it as a rose-pink tone as it takes on the colours of a rising sun. It was given the name ‘strawberry moon’ by Native Americans due to the time of year that it happens. The name reflects the strawberry ripening season, indicating that strawberries are ready to be picked.
Remember to set your alarms, this event is taking place today, on June 14th and will be visible here in the UAE.
If you would like to know more about this marvel, then Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre is hosting an event in the evening, giving the opportunity to view the supermoon through a telescope.