If you missed the full strawberry moon illuminating Vancouver skies in all its celestial glory, you'll have another opportunity to soak in a sweet summer show.
In Vancouver, the "full buck moon" will be at its fullest on July 23 at 7:36 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.
Named after the time of year when young bucks begin to grow new antlers from their foreheads, the July full moon marks a time of renewal. With this in mind, the July moon, like the other months of the year, has many names.
For example, the full moon is also known as the "Thunder Moon." According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the moon was given that name, "because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month." They note that Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons. As such, many of these names arose when Native Americans first interacted with colonialists.
The moon also has a number of Native American names which, translated directly into English, mean the "Ripe Corn Moon” by the Cherokee, "Middle of Summer Moon" by the Ponca, and “Moon When Limbs of Trees Are Broken by Fruit” by the Zuni.
Vancouverites share snaps of massive full 'strawberry moon'
Earlier in June, numerous locals took to social media to share images of the stunning strawberry moon.
Sunny and clear skies afforded ideal viewing conditions for sky-watchers in the Lower Mainland. Have a look at some of the best snaps from last month.
Sky-watchers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
