June's Strawberry Moon a special treat for stargazers
Strawberry moon over Lick Observatory in San Jose. June 27, 2018
June's full "Strawberry Moon" is arriving Wednesday night — and it comes with a special treat for stargazers: Saturn will also be at its biggest and brightest.
The ringed planet will be in opposition to the sun, rising high in the sky in the east shortly after sunset. It will continue climbing until midnight, when it will reach its highest point.
"Opposition is a big milestone each year for observing the ringed planet Saturn, or any superior planet (planet orbiting the sun outside Earth’s orbit)," EarthSky.org reports. "When we fly between a superior planet and the sun, the planet is generally closest and brightest for that year."
The Strawberry Moon will reach peak fullness on Wednesday at 9:53 p.m. on the West Coast and 12:53 a.m. Thursday on the East Coast.