May is an extra special month for astronomy fans, because there isn’t just one Full Moon, there’s two. The first is the Flower Moon, named for the time of year when little signs of Spring start to appear. At the end of the month, we’ll see a Blue Moon. This doesn’t have anything to do with its color, but simply the name given to a second Full Moon within the same calendar month.
Keep reading to find out more about this month’s Full Moon.
When is the May full moon?
The full moon will occur on Friday, May 1. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 1:23 p.m. ET.
What is the May full moon called?
One of the most beautiful parts of Spring is the return of flowers blooming. Daffodils are in full swing and wildflowers start to reappear, and summer starts to feel closer. This very experience is why the May full moon is called the Flower Moon, explains Royal Museums Greenwich.
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When is the next full moon?
There are two Full Moons in May, with the second one arriving on May 30 in North America. Depending on your time zone, though, it may actually peak on May 31 where you are.
What are the lunar phases?
The Full Moon is one of eight stages the Moon moves through during its roughly 29.5-day orbit around Earth. At each stage, a different portion of its surface is illuminated by the Sun from our viewpoint on Earth. Although we always face the same side of the Moon, the shifting position of sunlight across its orbit is what creates the changing appearance, from fully lit, to partially bright, to almost dark as the cycle progresses.
The phases are:
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New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (so, we don’t see anything).
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Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side
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First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
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Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
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Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
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Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side
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Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
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Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
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