A strawberry in the sky, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

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There's blood moons, there's blue moons, and yes, there's strawberry moons. 

Why call it 'strawberry' moon? The name stems from our Indigenous people - traditionally named for the time of year (June) when strawberries are ripe for the picking. Though the moon is not typically reddish in colour during a 'strawberry' moon, it certainly was this year in Ontario, Canada, thanks to the ash particulates in the air from wildfires in Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern Ontario.

Photo credit to Liza Symonenko, June 10, 2025

This year, the strawberry moon coincided with the celestial event referred to as a 'major lunar standstill,' one that occurs every 18.6 years. A major lunar standstill means the moon's orbit will be at the steepest angle in the sky compared to the earth's equator. This phenomenon won't occur again until 2043. A 'minor lunar standstill' occurs every 9.3 years, where the moon's orbit will be at the shallowest angle to the earth's equator. To better describe this phenomenon, I've copied the Wikipedia explanation.

Detailed explanation of a lunar standstill

[EXCERPT AND DIAGRAM FROM WIKIPEDIA]

Apparent paths of the Sun and Moon on the celestial sphere (angles exaggerated for clarity)

A more detailed explanation is best considered in terms of the paths of the Sun and Moon on the celestial sphere, as shown in the first diagram (right). This shows the abstract sphere surrounding the Earth at the center. The Earth is oriented so that its axis is vertical.

The Sun is, by definition, always seen on the ecliptic (the Sun's apparent path across the sky) while Earth is tilted at an angle of e = 23.5° to the plane of that path and completes one orbit around the Sun in 365.25636 days, slightly longer than one year due to precession altering the direction of Earth's inclination.

 The Moon's orbit around Earth (shown dotted) is inclined at an angle of i = 5.14° relative to the ecliptic. The Moon completes one orbit around the Earth in 27.32166 days. The two points at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic are known as its orbital nodes, shown as "N1" and "N2" (ascending node and descending node, respectively), and the line connecting them is known as the line of nodes. Due to precession of the Moon's orbital plane, these crossing points, and the positions of eclipses, gradually shift around the ecliptic in a period of 18.6 years.

Thanks Wikipedia. I think (?) that helped.

In my Twisted Climb series, the full moon plays an integral part in the night-time adventures for the characters in the Dream World and the un-World. There, the moon is always stationary - angled high above - yet the milky white, puffy clouds shift over and around it. There, Connor, Jayden and Max experience moonlit clarity as the moon beams down on them in a shifting frame of brightness. Does that pique your interest? If so, you'll love the adventures, action, suspense and drama in this award-winning series. If you're looking for a summer-time read, The Twisted Climb series is it. And please, leave a review in Amazon or Good Reads or Indigo, or any site that promotes authors and their books. Enjoy!

Stay safe and don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them :)

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - A Bright Darkness (Book 3) Best YA Book FINALIST at Critters Readers Poll 2022
AND
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2021
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young-at-heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
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