June full moon is the Strawberry Moon and a micromoon

When to watch in 2026: Overnight on June 29.
Where to look: Look for the bright, round moon rising low in the southeast after sunset on June 29. It will reach its highest point in the sky after midnight on June 30. And it’ll lie low in the southwest shortly before sunrise.
Crest of the full moon will fall at 23:57 UTC on June 29, 2026. That’s 6:57 p.m. CDT on June 29. So, if you live in the Americas, your fullest moon will occur as it rises on June 29.
And it’s a micromoon – or distant full moon – and the last full micromoon of 2026.

Full moon is opposite the sun

All full moons rise in the east near the time of sunset and set in the west near the time of sunrise. They are visible all night. At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon – in that order – align in space. The moon’s day side – its full lighted hemisphere – faces us. That’s why the moon looks full.

Also, the moon will look full and round for a day or two near full moon. And for folks living in mid-northern latitudes, the late June moon rises on average 45 minutes later each day. That means that the night after the full moon, you won’t see the moon rise until the sky is fully dark.

June full moon is the Strawberry Moon

All full moons have names. Some Native Americans used the name Strawberry Moon for the June full moon. And that name is still the most frequently used in North America. The name Strawberry Moon highlights the time of year when many species of berries ripen, particularly sweet strawberries.

But in Europe, popular names for the June full moon include Honey Moon and Mead Moon. That makes sense because the June full moon always rides so low. And when we look at sky objects nearer to the horizon, we’re looking at them through more atmosphere than when they’re overhead. The extra thickness of air causes the golden, honey color of the June full moon.

June full moon is in Sagittarius in 2026

The June full moon can lie in front of one of three constellations of the zodiac. First, it can be in the constellation Sagittarius the Archer. Second, in Scorpius the Scorpion. Or third, in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

As seen from the Americas, the full moon will rise on the night of June 29 among the eight stars of the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius. Its brightness easily overpowers the light from those stars. Even though you might not see them, rest assured, they are still there! Try blocking the moon with your finger and the Teapot might pop in to view.

Also the full moon will lie near the direction of the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The galactic center is west of the full moon.

This June’s full moon is a micromoon

Some moons are supermoons. That is, they’re both full and in a close part of their orbit around Earth. But the June 2026 full moon is a micromoon, the last of three such moons in a row. It is at the far part of its orbit around Earth – being at its closest to Earth the day before – making it appear smaller than average.

While a micromoon can appear up to 14% smaller than a supermoon – thus appearing less bright than a supermoon – this full moon will still shine very brightly. So much so, that its light will obscure the stars in that area of the sky.

June full moon mimics December sun

The June full moon always rides low, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because a full moon stays more or less opposite the sun. Its nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime arc from six months ago, and in six months hence.

This June 29 full moon will occur just eight days after the June solstice, which falls on June 21. So, the June full moon will follow nearly the same path across the sky as the December sun. The December solstice is the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. So the moon’s trek on nights around the June full moon will resemble the low path of the winter solstice sun.

Arc of the June full moon in the Southern Hemisphere

What about from the Southern Hemisphere? From there, the full moon’s arc across the sky climbs higher with each successive month after December. So it reaches its highest point on the full moon closest to the June solstice, which occurs sometime from June 7 through July 7. In 2026, the June 29 full moon falls only eight days after the solstice, and is the closest full moon this year to the solstice.

Bottom line: The June full moon – the Strawberry Moon – will occur on the overnight of June 29, 2026, and will lie in front of the Teapot asterism in the constellation Sagittarius.