A rare Strawberry Moon has appeared over Stonehenge for the first time in 18 years.
The astronomical event was captured by photographer Abby Moule, who spent two years planning for it.
The full moon in June is often called the “Strawberry Moon” because it coincides with the time of year when strawberries are typically harvested.
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This year, it peaked on 11 June and was unusually low in the sky due to a ‘major lunar standstill’, a phenomenon that occurs every 18.5 years.
“The June full moon always transits low to the horizon,” Abby told, What’s The Jam.
“I tried it last year but it was too cloudy. This has been two years in the planning.
“But this year was particularly special because the moon rises and sets at its most southern points on the horizon within its 18.5 year cycle.
“And so this June we were able to witness the shortest and lowest transit of the moon until 2043.
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“The moon only rose 10 degrees above the horizon throughout the night, making the composition of Stonehenge most appealing.”
Abby said the forecast was relatively clear and despite some early cloud and some later mist, she was able to capture the full arch as the moon transited the stones.
There is also a thought among scientists that the creation of Stonehenge does not just align with solar activity.
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Scientists at English Heritage, in collaboration with Bournemouth University, believe that the stones may have been positioned to align with this southernmost lunar pathway.
Research in the field is ongoing.
The photographic challenge took seven hours to shoot and involved Abby continuously imaging the moon in order to create a composite image showing the full transit.
Abby added: “Setting up the shot required precise planning to ensure that the stones would indeed skim the top of Stonehenge and not fall behind them.
“Facing due south was essential to try and ensure the arc was balanced over the stones.
“A tough challenge but a fantastic outcome and well worth the several nights spent on this project without sleep.”
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