A full “strawberry moon” arrives on Friday, and it will come with an understated partial eclipse for some parts of the world. While the moon will be at its absolute fullest on Friday around noon PT, you’ll have several opportunities to enjoy the view. The moon will look still look full from early Thursday morning through early Sunday morning, NASA said in a release Monday. In fact, the Moon in June is perfectly placed for easy observation because—as seen from northerly latitudes—it appears as low to the southern horizon as it ever gets, at least around the full Moon. As a consequence, it often seems giant-sized. How to See This Friday’s Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – https://t.co/AztmVngLL5 by @Astroguyz pic.twitter.com/MS6efBkZiZ — Fraser Cain (@fcain) June 2, 2020 Add a stunning “Strawberry Moon Eclipse” and a “Ring of Fire” annular solar eclipse (for some parts of the world only) and you’ve got yourself the perfect month for moon-gazing. Unlike the dramatic reddening of the Moon seen during totality when the Moon slides through the inner dark umbra of the Earth’s shadow, penumbral eclipses are subtle affairs. The Moon’s orbit is inclined about five degrees relative to the ecliptic plane; otherwise, we’d see at least two eclipses—one lunar and one solar—every month. During a penumbral eclipse such as Friday’s, however, the Moon just nicks the outer shadow of the Earth. At most, expect to see a slight shading on the southern limb of the Moon at maximum eclipse. The color of the Moon near mid-eclipse may take on a tea-colored appearance, instead of its usual pearly, bone-white hue. Penumbral shadows are a function of the structure of the shadow of the Earth cast back onto the Moon. If the Sun were a pinpoint light source infinitely far away, this shadow would have basically sharp distinct edges; instead, the outer penumbra is a region where only a portion of the Sun is obscured as seen from the Moon. All four lunar eclipses for 2020 are penumbral only, but take heart: we’re less than a year out now from the return of lunar totality to North America and the Pacific Rim region on May 26, 2021. For sure, Penumbrals aren’t the most amazing eclipses to see, but in a time that sees many of us curtailing our travel plans astronomical and otherwise, we’ll take whatever celestial action we can get.