If you see something pink floating in the sky this week, it's not a loose balloon. It's actually the moon.

On the night of Thursday, June 24th, you can expect to see the "Strawberry Moon" looking down on the Sioux Empire and throughout the state. The Strawberry Moon will be full and will rise just above the horizon towards the southeast.  According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the Strawberry Moon "will appear large and golden hued."

So what does it mean to have a Strawberry Moon? What is the origin of this unique name for the moon?  Well, think of the transition from spring to summer.

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The Old Farmer's Almanac explains that this is "typically" the last full moon of the spring or the first full moon of the summer.  This could also be known as the "June's Full Moon."  The Old Farmer's Almanac states, "Each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon." The names for all kinds of fulls moons come from various places including the Native Americans. The Lakota Tribe, for example, commonly refers to this full moon as "The Strawberry Moon."

The Strawberry Moon will reach its peak illumination at 2:40 PM Eastern Time.  Now obviously, we won't be able to see the moon until sunset.  The Moonrise and Moonset Calculator is a great tool to use to identify when the Strawberry Moon along with other moons will be visible in Sioux Falls.  We should be able to see the moon rise in the southeast around 9:40 PM this coming Thursday.

Make sure you're looking up in the sky on Thursday evening to see the great Strawberry Moon!

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