{"id":738487,"date":"2026-06-15T17:31:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/738487\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:31:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:31:03","slug":"the-highest-full-moon-of-2026-will-light-up-the-nsw-sky-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/738487\/","title":{"rendered":"The highest full moon of 2026 will light up the NSW sky soon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vivid<\/a> might be over, but there\u2019s more to come this winter on the night-time delights front \u2013 first up, the first full moon of the season. This month\u2019s Strawberry Moon is set to be the highest full moon of the entire year, lighting up our cold winter evenings. Peaking on Tuesday, June 30, it also marks the year’s second micromoon, following the rare blue micromoon<\/a> in May. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about watching winter\u2019s first full moon.<\/p>\n

RELATED READ: Sydney\u2019s shortest day is just around the corner<\/a><\/p>\n

When is the Strawberry Moon in NSW 2026?<\/p>\n

The Strawberry Moon will officially reach its peak on the morning of Tuesday, June 30 at 9.56am AEST. While it technically peaks in the broad daylight of Tuesday, we expect viewing to be best after sunset the night before and the night of the full moon itself. So rug up, head outside and admire the bright glow of the moon late into the night. You can find the exact time the full moon will peak where you live here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is a Strawberry Moon?<\/p>\n

A Strawberry Moon is the name given to the full moon that happens in June each year. Despite the name, the moon doesn\u2019t actually glow pink or red. The name originates from Native American traditions, where the June full moon signalled the start of wild strawberry harvest season in parts of North America.<\/p>\n

Notably, the Strawberry Moon is the highest full moon of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning it will sit furthest from the horizon and closest to the zenith (that’s the \u2018highest\u2019 point in the sky directly overhead). This particular full moon is also 2026’s second micromoon, tracking at its furthest point from Earth. While it will appear approximately six per cent smaller and ten per cent dimmer than your average full moon, it won\u2019t actually look miniature.<\/p>\n

How to see the Strawberry Moon from NSW?<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s the highest full moon of the year, the Strawberry Moon should still be visible to the naked eye \u2013 so long as there are clear skies. When it comes to fully appreciating the full moon, the darker the area you’re in, the better. You can find our top spots in this handy guide to the best stargazing spots near Sydney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When is the next full moon in NSW?<\/p>\n

The next full moon, the Buck Moon, will rise in Australia on Tuesday, July 29, 2026.
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\nWant to moon gaze all night long? These are the best camping sites close to Sydney<\/a>.
\nAnd these are the best glamping sites if you want to stargaze in luxury<\/a>.
\nPlus, the only Dark Sky Park in Australia is right here in NSW<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vivid might be over, but there\u2019s more to come this winter on the night-time delights front \u2013 first…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":738488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[64,63,53320,102702,128,12943],"class_list":["post-738487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-categories-things-to-do","tag-news-weird-wonderful","tag-science","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/738488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}