Strawberry moon, Saturn and Mars visible this week

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

This month's full moon, known as a strawberry moon, will brighten the night sky from late Thursday, June 28 until Friday morning.

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But don't expect a ruby-colored sphere in the sky. The moon's name actually comes from the Algonquin tribe, one of North America's most populous Native American tribes, who would consider the June full moon a signal to start gathering wild strawberries, according to the Farmers' Almanac.

"For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature's cues," the almanac states. "Later, Colonial Americans adopted many of the Native American names and incorporated them into the modern calendar, as you will see in The Old Farmer's Almanac founded in 1792 during George Washington's presidency."

The June full moon is also known as the honey moon, mead moon and, in Europe, the full rose moon.

Saturn and Mars visible

Also, Saturn will be visible next to the full moon.

Starting June 27, the moon will be very close in the sky to Saturn. The next couple of nights around the same time, the two will move or look like they are moving farther apart. 

A bonus planet, Mars, is close to the waning gibbous moon and will be visible June 30. Mars and Saturn will be next to each other in the evening.

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