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The arrival of summer coincides with the sixth full moon of the year. Known in English as the 'mead' or sometimes 'honey' moon, this year it can be observed from the early hours of Friday 21 June until the morning of Sunday 23 June all over the world.
The best time to see it in Spain will be at 3.08am on Saturday 22 June when it will reach its peak and be at its closest to Earth, giving the sensation of being even bigger and brighter, according to the National Astronomical Observatory.
It will be clearly visible to the naked eye, although for a better experience observers are advised to avoid cities and towns and other places with light pollution and use binoculars or a telescope.
According to American space agency Nasa, "An old European name for this full moon is the mead or honey moon. Mead is a drink created by fermenting honey mixed with water. Some writings suggest the time around the end of June was when honey was ready for harvesting, which made this the 'sweetest' moon."
The explanation goes on to say, "The word 'honeymoon' traces back to at least the 1500s in Europe. The tradition of calling the first month of marriage the 'honeymoon' may be tied to this full moon because of the custom of marrying in June or because the 'honey moon' is the 'sweetest' moon of the year."
Some writings suggest that it was traditional for newlyweds to drink mead to bring them fertility and a happy marriage.
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