United States

Solstice, Strawberry Moon Mark Summer's Official Arrival

In the United States, summer began at 6:34 p.m. on the East Coast, when the sun reached its highest point in Earth's sky

The summer solstice marked the season's official arrival around the globe Monday.

In the United States, summer began at 6:34 p.m. on the East Coast. That's when the sun reached its highest point in Earth's sky.

Monday also marked the longest period of daylight of the year. The days will get shorter beginning Tuesday until Dec. 21, the winter solstice.

Sky watchers were treated to a rare full moon coinciding with the solstice. June's full moon has traditionally been nicknamed the honey moon or the strawberry moon because of its large, reddish-amber appearance in the sky, and because Algonquin tribes used the solstice as a sign for when fruits were ready for picking, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.

Monday marked the first time since June 1967 the full moon fell on the same day as the summer solstice, according to Earthsky.com, which cited Universal Time for its calculations. The pairing won't happen again until June 2062.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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