### Rare ‘Strawberry Moon’ to Glow Red Over UK — Sky Spectacle Won’t Recur Until 2043
Stargazers across the United Kingdom are being treated to an extraordinary lunar event this week, as June’s full Moon—known as the “Strawberry Moon”—is set to illuminate the night sky with a distinctive reddish hue. This dazzling phenomenon, expected to be at its most vivid on the evenings of 10 and 11 June 2025, will not be witnessed in such striking fashion again until 2043, making this a must-see event for astronomers and the public alike.
This year’s Strawberry Moon is so named due to its timing with the wild strawberry harvesting season in North America, a tradition rooted in Native American culture and colonial heritage. The name has since persisted, enriching June’s full Moon with a charming and evocative title. However, in 2025, the spectacle goes even further: the Moon is predicted to appear tinted red or copper as it hugs the horizon, living up to its fruity namesake in dramatic style.
Scientists explain that this rare effect is a matter of orbital geometry and atmospheric science. The Moon will trace its lowest arc across UK skies for nearly two decades, never climbing high above the horizon at night. The reason lies in the tilt of the Moon’s orbit and Earth’s own progression around the Sun, aligning this full Moon so it rises at dusk and remains close to the horizon into the early morning hours.
When observing the Moon low in the sky, its light must travel through a thicker cross-section of the Earth’s atmosphere than when overhead. This extra journey subjects the Moon’s glow to two key processes that together produce its reddish tinge. The first, Rayleigh scattering, occurs as molecules of nitrogen and oxygen, along with fine atmospheric aerosols, disperse shorter wavelengths of light—such as blue and green—more than longer red and orange hues. This filtering strips away the cooler colours, leaving behind the warmer tones visible to our eyes.
Furthermore, the lower atmosphere is richer in dust, water vapour, and man-made pollutants, each contributing to a further muting of the Moon’s blue and green appearance, enhancing its orange or deep crimson shade. The combination of these effects is not unique to lunar displays—sunsets and sunrises are similarly painted with fiery colours by the very same atmospheric physics.
According to experts, the best time to view the 2025 Strawberry Moon will be at moonrise on 10 June, around 9pm to 9.30pm, when the Moon first emerges above the horizon and its reddened glow should be at its most intense. By the morning of 11 June at 8:43am, the Moon will be fully illuminated but will no longer be visible in its dramatic evening state, as it will already be high in the sky or lost to daylight.
The unusual alignment means this full Moon will only climb to about 10 to 12 degrees above the horizon at its highest overnight—roughly equivalent to holding two fists at arm’s length above the ground. For seasoned astronomers and curious members of the public alike, this provides a rare opportunity to witness the full Moon so low and so vividly coloured, framed by cityscapes or the countryside and ripe for stunning photography.
While the moniker “Strawberry Moon” hails from Algonquin tribes and old European traditions alike, it is not linked to the Moon’s colour, but rather to the seasonal cycles of nature and farming. Its 2025 appearance, however, is set to reinforce the vivid association—at least for those who turn their eyes skyward as dusk falls.
Notably, the physics behind the event are the same that cause the so-called “blood Moon” effect during lunar eclipses, when Earth’s shadow and atmosphere combine to cast a red tint on our celestial neighbour. However, no eclipse is required this June—just clear skies and a good view to the southeast as the evening sets in.
Anyone keen to catch a glimpse is advised to locate a spot with a clear, unobstructed horizon for optimal viewing, and to mark their calendars, as the next opportunity to witness a Strawberry Moon so vividly is not expected for another 18 years.
Skywatchers and amateur astronomers alike are being urged to take advantage of this fleeting appearance of the Strawberry Moon, a celestial highlight that weaves together folklore, science, and natural wonder—a phenomenon not to be missed before it slips over the horizon for another generation.