ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay, get ready to look up: The summer solstice will begin with a rare full "Strawberry moon."
The summer solstice typically falls between June 20-22 every year and this year, it's Thursday, June 20. Just a day later, the moon will reach its full phase. The solstice and the full moon aligning that closely only occurs once every 19-20 years, according to Space.com.
The full "Strawberry moon" will reach peak illumination on Friday, June 21, at 9:08 p.m. Eastern Time, according to NASA.
June's moon is named "Strawberry" because it is the peak harvest for red fruits, like strawberries. The Old Farmer's Almanac says that North American Algonquin tribes used the moon to mark the time to gather the fruits.
Because the sun reaches its highest point at the solstice, this year's "Strawberry moon" will stand out even more by appearing lower in the sky and looking larger, taking on orange-ish color, the Almanac said.
The full moon in Florida
Luckily for the Tampa area, dark clouds will settle down when the sun sets, according to 10 Tampa Bay meteorologist Mike Prangley, for a good moon-viewing evening.
The "Strawberry moon" is in Capricorn this year, an Earth sign on the same axis as Cancer, a water sign. The sign is determined by the moon's position in the sky, and astrologers claim the two zodiac signs hold ties to the legacies people build and come from.
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“Cancer is tied to our domestic lives, heritage, ancestors, past and the home, whereas Capricorn is linked to professional success, career matters, public recognition and the legacies we will build toward,” celebrity astrologist Kyle Thomas told "Good Morning America." “They can also be seen as the duality between private and public life.”
