Rare Lunar Event Tonight Won't Happen Again for almost 20 Years: Oregon, Washington, Coastlines

Published 06/10/25 at 5:35 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Seaside, Oregon) – If you're anywhere in Oregon, Washington or along its coastlines with a somewhat clear sky tonight, you're going to see something that only comes along every few decades. (Above: Lincoln City's Siletz River / Oregon Coast Beach Connection).

Indeed, the low-sky fun may last at least another two days, if you're wanting to get the money shot.

According to Portland astronomer Jim Todd (of OMSI), early Wednesday morning, June 11, skywatchers around the northwest will witness a rare lunar phenomenon as the full moon reaches its highest position of the month at 1:09 a.m. Despite this peak, the moon will sit remarkably low in the sky, reaching an altitude of only 15.33 degrees above the horizon - a sight unseen since 2006 and one that won’t occur again until 2043.

This Strawberry Moon will be at its lowest high point in decades.

NASA notes that the name “strawberry moon” was popularized by farmer’s almanacs in the 1930s and has since become a widely recognized term. According to the farmer’s almanac, the name originated with Algonquin tribes who associated the full June moon with the short strawberry harvest season. In Europe, the moon was historically referred to as the “Rose Moon.”

This celestial alignment follows a predictable pattern based on the relationship between the sun and the moon.

Viewing details for Portland (times are similar for areas south like Ashland or Gold Beach, and to the north at Seattle, but they will differ):
- Moonrise: 9:12 p.m. (June 10), southeast
- Highest point: 1:09 a.m. (June 11), due south
- Moonset: 5:04 a.m. (June 11), southwest

“Because full moons occur when the moon is directly opposite the sun, you can imagine the two as sitting on either side of a celestial see-saw: on the day when the sun is highest in the middle of the day (in summer), the moon is at its lowest high point at midnight; and on the day when the sun is at its lowest high point in the middle of the day (in winter), the moon is at its highest high point at midnight,” Todd said. “The highest for December is when the moon will be more than 68 degrees above the southern horizon. Compare this to June when the moon barely grazes 15 degrees above the southern horizon.”

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Along the coastlines of Washington and Oregon, this will mean some extra interesting photos at night or at dusk if the moon happens to be low then. These moons are often extremely wild colors and appear much larger when low on the horizon.

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Late at night, look to the south when it's low in areas like Cape Foulweather near Depoe Bay, from Cape Arago near Coos Bay, as high vantage points give great views to the south. Manzanita's Neahkahnie Mountain will also be awesome for this.

The moon was extremely large last night and low on the horizon, so photographers can take advantage along the coastlines or inland areas for at last another evening or two.

You're also going to discover the moon looks even larger than usual now – something scientists call the “full moon effect.”

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“The bigger-than-usual size of a moon seen near the horizon is a trick your eyes play on you, called 'the moon illusion,' “ Todd said. “The illusion is a matter of perception, a trick of the brain, which perceives the Moon when seen overhead as closer than the Moon seen at the horizon. When an object is perceived to be nearer, the brain may compensate by making it look smaller to us. Likewise, an object thought to be farther away will be seen as larger.”

The full strawberry moon will be positioned within the constellation Ophiuchus, near the Milky Way’s plane, and will appear in a distinct champagne hue as it rises from the east. The moon’s golden tint during summer months is the result of atmospheric scattering - when its light, traveling through more air at low angles, loses shorter wavelengths like blue and green, leaving behind rich red, yellow, and orange tones.

Skywatchers should also look for a bright reddish star near the moon: Antares, the heart of the constellation Scorpius. The moon will be approximately 247,260 miles from Earth at its peak.

For those wanting to explore the wonders of the night sky further, OMSI’s Kendall Planetarium hosts Starry Nights Live! daily, offering an in-depth look at celestial events and constellations.

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