Astronomer dispelled popular myths about the "strawberry Moon"

In recent years, familiar astronomical phenomena such as full moons have increasingly been given vivid folk names, such as "strawberry Moon" or "pink Moon." However, as noted by Sergey Chumakov, Doctor of Sciences, educator and teacher, in an interview with Izvestia on June 30, such terms have no scientific relation to the appearance of the Earth's satellite.

According to the expert, the Moon does not change color depending on the season or calendar name. Its shade is determined solely by the state of the Earth's atmosphere — the level of dust, humidity and temperature. At different times, the observer may see the moon as yellowish, white, or with a slight bluish tinge. The lunar soil itself reflects light weakly and is similar in properties to dark rocky rocks.

"The effect of the "magnified Moon" at the horizon is an optical illusion. Due to the refraction of light in the dense layers of the atmosphere, the satellite appears larger than when it rises higher. A similar distortion can be observed with other objects near the horizon — the Sun, stars, or even airplanes," Chumakov explained.

Full Moon in June: the secrets of the last "mini moon" of the year

On the full moon of June 30, our usual moon will become smaller.

The expert noted that the full moon also affects the observation conditions of other space objects. During this period, the night sky becomes much brighter, which makes it more difficult to observe distant planets, nebulae and galaxies. That is why astronomers prefer to work in the phases of the waxing or waning moon, when the sky is darker.

According to Chumakov, more favorable conditions for observations are developing in mountainous areas where the atmosphere is cleaner and thinner. Therefore, large observatories are traditionally located on high ground.

At the same time, July promises a number of astronomical events. So, on July 12, the Moon will pass south of Pluto, but this phenomenon will be available only to professional observations. In addition, on July 20, the Moon will cover the Pleiades star cluster, which can only be seen in certain regions, and on July 30, the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower is expected to peak, when, under ideal conditions, an observer can notice up to 20-30 meteors per hour away from urban lighting.

On June 24, Popular Science magazine reported the discovery of "fluffy" planets in the constellation of Flying Fish. According to the publication, the density of exoplanets, named TOI-791 b and TOI-791, is comparable to cotton candy. The researchers emphasized that currently only a small number of such "fluffy" planets are known, and it is even less possible to find several in one system.