'Strawberry moon' at its lowest point in Long Island sky since 2007

A strawberry moon — the lowest full moon in 18 years — shone bright above Long Island and New York City on Wednesday evening.

The full moon had been expected to take a very low arc across the sky, said Joe Rao, an associate astronomer at the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan.

The last time the moon was this low was in June 2007, Rao said.

James Tomasini, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, said the strawberry moon "may have an orange or reddish look to it because of the smoke" from Canadian wildfires.

"If you have no pollutants or anything in the atmosphere, the strawberry moon would just be white," he said.

The "strawberry moon" nickname originates from several Northeastern Native American tribes, who coined the term because strawberries typically start blooming in June, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Another reason for the moon’s dark coloring is the "schmutz" — or haze — visible near the horizon, Rao said. The moon also tends to be more reddish-looking in the summer when the moon is closer to the horizon, he said.

For optimal viewing of the strawberry moon, Rao suggested avoiding obstructions like houses and trees. The best place to get a good view is on the beach, he said.

"People sometimes journey down to Jones Beach or Robert Moses State Park or someplace where you have a nice wide-open view of the southern sky," Rao said. "That would be the best place."

He added that light pollution near large towns could affect viewing the stars, but people will be able to see the strawberry moon from anywhere on the Island.