Look Up! Full 'Strawberry Moon' To Shine In Tuesday's Night Sky

DETROIT (WWJ) - As long as the weather cooperates (and it looks like it will), the full "Strawberry Moon" will take center stage in Tuesday's night sky.

Maryann Jarvela, with the Old Farmer's Almanac, says many modern farmers continue to use the moon to plan when to plant what.

"Farmers swear by it," she said. "They say they get much better crops and, you know, less pests — you name it — and you should following the moon phase."

For example, Jarvela said, the best time to plant potatoes is during the Strawberry Moon.

So, why the fruity name?

Jarvela explained Native Americans named the full moons based on what's happening in nature.

"The strawberries are starting to ripen and you can go and pick them, so they named the June moon for the strawberry moon" Jarvela said, "and there's actually different names for the June moon, too."

In England, she said, they call it the "rose moon" because the roses are budding.

In July, Michanders can look forward to seeing the full "Buck Moon," named because deer grow new antlers at that time. Next month's full moon has also been known as the "Thunder Moon," because thunderstorms can be frequent in July.

[Learn more about Native American moon names from the almanac, HERE].