Why on Earth is The Moon Pink?!

Hello, people!  

Today I will be talking about the exceedingly rare strawberry moon that happened very recently. This is not uncommon; another Strawberry Moon will happen in 2026, but this one is different...

Let us leave that, right now and discuss other things, like how it's name came about. Moon effects are named after the season they reflect. For instance, February's full moon is the Snow Moon, July's is the Buck Moon and obviously June's is the Strawberry Moon. Funny how in June the moon is red, however it cannot make up its mind if it wants to be hot or cold, but oh well!

This is the snow moon for example:

Now, the simple reason it is significantly rarer than any other strawberry moon is because of how low it is! Another strawberry moon won't be this low until 2043, and it is so easy to take a photo or just see how clear and beautiful life is. That is why in the second image the photo looks so good that it almost looks fake!

Now, the reason this moon is so low is because, over the course of a year, the Sun follows a fixed cycle of changing positions in the sky. However, the Moon’s cycle is much more rapid. According to expert Jennifer Wexler, the Strawberry Moon is part of a 'major lunar standstill':

"Our view of the Moon varies over a period of 29.5 days as it changes from a thin white crescent to a full disc and back again to a thin crescent, until disappearing for three days [...] Meanwhile, moonrise and moonset move from their northernmost to southernmost limits and back again in just 27 days [...] Through its phases, the Moon acts as a timekeeper for societies around the globe, past and present. But the Moon also has a further cycle that is far longer.” 

Major lunar standstills only occur every 18.6 years, meaning you will only see about 4 of these in your life, so don't miss it!  Now, how does it turn red? It is simple; it is either due to a lunar eclipse or simply because it was near the horizon during sunset or sunrise. This is also what makes this so rare, so with your 4 opportunities (1 of which is already gone), make sure you don't waste them!

Ok, enjoy life, people and have a good day, and don't miss these events by being moony! (Pun intended!)