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The last week of June 2018 will be a feast for the observers of the sky as a "strawberry" moon will culminate in the night skies, alongside our favorite ring planet, Saturn.
Starting early in the morning of June 27, the gas giant will be closer to Earth than it will ever be throughout the year. He will sit directly in front of the sun, giving us a rare opportunity to take a look at his bright rings and possibly a few moons. According to a report by Accuweather, the planet will rise east after sunset and will cross the sky to lie down just as the sun rises.
While watching Saturn lighter than normal is a heavenly spectacle in itself, the show improves a lot, thanks to the full strawberry moon that will rise in the night of June 27th.
The name indicates that the moon will take the shape or color of the famous fruit, but that is not the case. It only gets this nickname because the Algonquin tribes used it as a signal to determine when to harvest strawberries ripening on the farm, according to the almanac of the old farmer. The full moon of June is also called Warm Moon, Pink Moon, Honeymoon and Meadow Moon.
That said, on the night of June 27 and until the early hours of the next day, the strawberry moon and Saturn will appear one next to the other. The observation will vary depending on the clarity of the skies in your area, but a bright, smaller Saturn next to the Moon should be easy to observe even without a telescope.
How to watch the strawberry moon and Saturn
Although the full moon and Saturn are visible all night, the best time to watch the duo would be around 1:00 am EDT. At that moment, the moon will be at its peak and Saturn will be close enough to be in the same camera frame.
The moon will have the same fullness all the time, but for the best experience, look for an open place like a natural park with minimal light pollution. This will make it easier to see the bright planet in a group of stars. Watching with a sophisticated telescope could even reveal the rings or some of the moons on the planet like Enceladus.
"If you've never spotted the rings of Saturn, it's now your chance," said Dave Samuhel, AccuWeather's astronomy blogger, in a statement. "A small telescope is all you need".
That said, it's worth noting if you miss Saturn on the night of June 27, you'll have ample time to capture in the following weeks. Saturn will remain close enough for observation throughout July and August and will gradually begin to darken with each passing night.
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