Full Moon in June 2023 - Strawberry Moon in North and Cold Moon in Southern Hemisphere

Spread the love

Whether a full moon in June 2023 is a Strawberry Moon or a Cold Moon is not rocket science to solve. It’s just simple physics. The sixth full moon of 2023 in the earth’s northern hemisphere is known as Strawberry Moon. This June full moon will occur on Saturday, June 03 at 23:42 Eastern Standard Time (EST).

On the contrary, for people living in the southern hemisphere: let’s say Australian people, call the moon in June a Cold Moon. In the earth’s southern areas, the cold moon will occur on Sunday, June 04 at 14:42 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

Wanna know why different full moon names in the different hemispheres and many more interesting facts about the full moon in June 2023? I would recommend you to keep reading! Let’s dive right in!!!

Why Different Full Moon Names in Different Hemispheres?

Just because there is approx 6 months of seasonal difference between the northern and southern hemispheres, people living above and below the equator use different full moon names.

summer-and-winter-solstice-in-northern-and-southern-hemisphere — When there is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, there is the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Obviously, now you would be thinking that what could be the reason behind the seasonal difference between the two hemispheres?

Well, just because the earth has an axial tilt of 23.4 degrees, there is a seasonal mismatch between the southern and the northern hemisphere. See the above image for a proper understanding.

However, If you wanna know more about the earth’s tilt and how it affects the seasons on the Earth, you can check this article. I can bet you will love this piece of article.

Different Full Moon Names in Northern Hemisphere

For millennia, ancient humans have used different seasons as a guide to track the different full moons. Or, you can say for millennia, humans have used the full moons to track the changing season. However, seasons are not the only possible way to define different full moon names.

What I mean is that the names given to the various full moons are based on a couple of different sources. Out of all, the most famous and widely acknowledged full moon names come from the tribes of Native American culture.

As per the legends, to keep track of changing seasons, the Algonquin tribal people used to follow the lunar calendar rather than following the solar calendar.

These full moon names were later adopted by Colonial Americans and European settlers. And, with time, these names were finally integrated with the modern (Georgian calendar) calendar.

Editor’s Choice: Full Moon Calendar 2023 (Dates & Names – Northern Hemisphere)

Full Moon in June 2023 – Strawberry Moon in Northern Hemisphere

In the northern hemisphere or so-called Western world, the full moon in June is known as the Strawberry Moon. WHY? Because it signals or simply indicates the ripening of fruits (let’s say strawberries). That’s why the full moon in this month also goes by the name of Fruit Moon.

Not to mention, this full moon will also be the last full moon before the occurrence of the Summer Solstice in the earth’s northern hemisphere. The Summer Solstice i.e. the first day of summer will occur on Tuesday, June 21 at 05:14 Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Other Cultural Full Moon Names for June 2023 in Northern Hemisphere

Well, if you go somewhere away from your native place, you will see that local indigenous people have their own indigenous full moon names. For example:

In Indian Culture, the full moon in June is known as Jyeshtha Purnima. The full moon in Hindi is known as Purnima.
English Medival people call it a Dyan moon.
Chinese people call the full moon in June a Lotus Moon.
Dakotah people call it the Moon When June Berries Are Ripe.
Cherokee tribe people call it the Green Corn Moon.
Colonial American People call it the Rose Moon.
Choctaw tribe people call it the Windy Moon, etc.

Editor’s Choice: Hindu Full Moon Calendar 2023 (Purnima Tithi, Name & Moon Sign)

Different Full Moon Names in Southern Hemisphere

You would be baffled to know that the full moon names used in the southern hemisphere are the same as the northern hemisphere, just the seasonal difference. Wanna know why???

Well, because most of the people living in the southern hemisphere (let’s say Australia or New Zealand) are none other than the European settlers.

In other words, one can say that European settlers, at first, integrated the Native American full moon names into their modern Georgian calendar. And, later, many of these full moon names went with them to new places around the world.

Editor’s Choice: Full Moon Calendar 2023 (Dates & Names – Southern Hemisphere)

Full Moon in June 2023 – Cold Moon in Southern Hemisphere

June-full-cold-moon-southern-hemisphere — Image Source: Live Science

In the southern hemisphere, the full moon in June is known as the Cold Moon or Full Cold Moon. WHY? Because this is the time when the winter season begins in the earth’s southern areas. I mean that’s why the full moon in this month also goes by the name of Long Night Moon.

Moreover, this full moon will also be the last full moon before the arrival of the June Solstice. June Solstice i.e. the first day of winter in the southern hemisphere will occur on Tuesday, June 21 at 20:14 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

Other Cultural Full Moon Names for June in Southern Hemisphere

Well, if you go somewhere away from your native place, you will see that local indigenous people have their own indigenous full moon names. Sadly, this is not the case with the people living in the southern hemisphere.

Not to mention, for several days, I have been trying to get some detail regarding the full moon naming criteria for the Earth’s southern areas. But, I did not find any single piece of work related to that.

However, I did find one resource where it has been mentioned that the native people of the southern hemisphere (Māori People of New Zealand) didn’t assign a name to only the Full Moon phase of each month. Every night of the Moon had a name.

Therefore, as a result of these elaborated naming conditions, many in the Southern Hemisphere rely on European-inspired Full Moon Names.

Latest Update

Just to let you know, one of my friends Retha Potgieter recently told me about the update on Full moon names in South Africa. Since September 2020, South Africa has their own unique full moon names. As per the Centre for Astronomical Heritage (CfAH), in South Africa, the full moon in June is known as SISTERS MOON.

And, if there is a second full moon in June, it is known as HONEY MOON. The Centre for Astronomical Heritage (CfAH) is a non-profit company working to protect South Africa’s astronomical heritage.

The Centre’s mission is to record, preserve, and disseminate information about South Africa’s tangible and intangible astronomical heritage. I would request you to visit this website at least once. They are doing nice work.

When is the Next Full Moon in 2023?

The next full moon will occur on Saturday, June 03 at 23:42 Eastern Standard Time (EST). It will be known as the Strawberry Moon. Okay, for northerners, it will be a Strawberry Moon. But, for the Southerners, it will be a Cold Moon.

Therefore, for Southerners, it will occur on Sunday, June 04 at 14:42 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). In addition, on this day, the moon will be in Sagittarius. At last, I wish you good luck with this epic moon gazing.

That’s it for this post. If you like this article, share it if you like, like it if you share it. You can also find us on Mix, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. Hey man, If you have come this far, do give us feedback in the comment section. It would make my day. You can also make a donation. Your donations will help us to run our website and serve you BETTER. Cheers!!!

Donate Now

You might also like: