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May’s full moon is called the Flower Moon



This month’s full moon – called the Flower Moon – will crest at 11:56 a.m. CDT for us in the Americas on May 12. The moon will be below the horizon then for us … but that timing means the moon will look round and full to us on both May 11 and May 12. What else is special about this full moon? What’s the best way to watch a full moon, and what can you expect to see? Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd at 12:15 p.m. CDT (17:15 UTC) to boost your moon-watching mojo!

When and where to watch in 2025: Look for the bright, round moon rising low in the southeast after sunset on May 12. It reaches its highest point in the sky after midnight, and lies low in the southwest shortly before sunrise.

Crest of the full moon falls at 16:56 UTC on May 12. That’s 11:56 a.m. CDT on May 12. So, if you live in central North America, the moon appears fullest in the southwest just before sunrise on May 12. It is almost as full when it rises in the southeast after sunset on May 12. The rising moon in the southeast on May 11 will also appear full.

It’s the 3rd of 3 full micromoons – the smallest and most distant moons – in a row for 2025. The May full moon will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away.

Chart showing a disk, the full moon, above a small dot, the star Antares. They are both above a wavy line representing the horizon.
About 2 hours after sunset on May 12, 2025, the full Flower Moon will glow brightly near red Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. It’s the 3rd of 3 full micromoons – the smallest and most distant moons – in a row for 2025. The May full moon will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away. Chart via EarthSky.

Moon looks full over 2 nights

Chart showing, all in a row, a large starred dot representing the sun, a blue dot representing Earth, and a small white dot representing the moon.
At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. Chart via EarthSky.

At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon align in space with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – faces us. That’s why the moon looks full. Note that the moon will look round for a day or two around full moon. Because the May full moon occurs near mid-day on May 12, the moon will look full twelve hours before on the overnight of May 11, as well as when it rises on May 12.

It’s the Flower Moon

All full moons have nicknames. Popular ones for May’s full moon include the Planting Moon and the Milky Moon, but the Flower Moon is the most common. As you might expect, the name Flower Moon recognizes the blooming of wildflowers and garden flowers. The light of the full moon gives the flowers an enchanting appearance.

Arc of the May full moon

Two charts: The first one shows a disk, the December sun, moving across the sky in a low arc above a wavy line representing the horizon. Another, but higher arc shows a disk, the May sun, moving across the sky. The second chart shows a disk, the December full moon, moving across the sky in a high arc, and another disk, the May full moon, moving in a lower arc above a wavy line representing the horizon.
For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the low arc across the sky of the May full moon nearly matches that of the December sun. The arc of the May sun is always much higher than the arc of the May full moon. And it nearly matches that of the December full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

The moon’s arc across our sky varies from month to month and from season to season. Every full moon rises along the eastern horizon, opposite the sun as it sets in the west. Every full moon arcs across the sky throughout the night and sets along the western horizon around dawn.

For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the arc of May’s full moon is lower than the paths of the full moons since December. But it’s higher than the next one which falls in the overnight of June 10 in North America.

Two charts: The first one shows a disk, the December sun, moving across the sky in a high arc above a wavy line representing the horizon. Another, but lower arc shows a disk, the May sun, moving across the sky. The second chart shows a disk, the December full moon, moving across the sky in a low arc, and another disk, the May full moon, moving in a higher arc above a wavy line representing the horizon.
For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the high arc across the sky of the May full moon nearly matches that of the December sun. The arc of the May sun is always much lower than the arc of the May full moon. And it nearly matches that of the December full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

For those folks in the Southern Hemisphere, the full moon’s arc across the sky is climbing higher with each successive month since December. And will continue to do so until the full moon nearest the June solstice.

The May full moon is in Libra

Chart showing an arrow passing a blue disk representing Earth then passing a smaller white disk representing the moon. The arrow is directed between two dots, representing two stars,Spica, and Antares.
The May 2025 full moon occurs on the night of May 12 and lies in the eastern half of the constellation Libra the Scales. Chart via EarthSky.

The full moon on the evening of May 12 is located in the direction of the constellation Libra the Scales. And just before sunrise on May 12, when the moon nears its fullest, it lies near Libra’s eastern border with Scorpius the Scorpion. Then on the night of May 13, when it still looks full, it glows immediately near Scorpius’ brightest star, Antares.

Bottom line: The May full moon occurs in the morning of May 12 before sunrise, but looks full on the previous evening and when it rises at sunset on May 12. And it’s the last full micromoon of 2025.

The post May’s full moon is called the Flower Moon first appeared on EarthSky.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/4MfAsRc


This month’s full moon – called the Flower Moon – will crest at 11:56 a.m. CDT for us in the Americas on May 12. The moon will be below the horizon then for us … but that timing means the moon will look round and full to us on both May 11 and May 12. What else is special about this full moon? What’s the best way to watch a full moon, and what can you expect to see? Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd at 12:15 p.m. CDT (17:15 UTC) to boost your moon-watching mojo!

When and where to watch in 2025: Look for the bright, round moon rising low in the southeast after sunset on May 12. It reaches its highest point in the sky after midnight, and lies low in the southwest shortly before sunrise.

Crest of the full moon falls at 16:56 UTC on May 12. That’s 11:56 a.m. CDT on May 12. So, if you live in central North America, the moon appears fullest in the southwest just before sunrise on May 12. It is almost as full when it rises in the southeast after sunset on May 12. The rising moon in the southeast on May 11 will also appear full.

It’s the 3rd of 3 full micromoons – the smallest and most distant moons – in a row for 2025. The May full moon will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away.

Chart showing a disk, the full moon, above a small dot, the star Antares. They are both above a wavy line representing the horizon.
About 2 hours after sunset on May 12, 2025, the full Flower Moon will glow brightly near red Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. It’s the 3rd of 3 full micromoons – the smallest and most distant moons – in a row for 2025. The May full moon will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away. Chart via EarthSky.

Moon looks full over 2 nights

Chart showing, all in a row, a large starred dot representing the sun, a blue dot representing Earth, and a small white dot representing the moon.
At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. Chart via EarthSky.

At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon align in space with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – faces us. That’s why the moon looks full. Note that the moon will look round for a day or two around full moon. Because the May full moon occurs near mid-day on May 12, the moon will look full twelve hours before on the overnight of May 11, as well as when it rises on May 12.

It’s the Flower Moon

All full moons have nicknames. Popular ones for May’s full moon include the Planting Moon and the Milky Moon, but the Flower Moon is the most common. As you might expect, the name Flower Moon recognizes the blooming of wildflowers and garden flowers. The light of the full moon gives the flowers an enchanting appearance.

Arc of the May full moon

Two charts: The first one shows a disk, the December sun, moving across the sky in a low arc above a wavy line representing the horizon. Another, but higher arc shows a disk, the May sun, moving across the sky. The second chart shows a disk, the December full moon, moving across the sky in a high arc, and another disk, the May full moon, moving in a lower arc above a wavy line representing the horizon.
For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the low arc across the sky of the May full moon nearly matches that of the December sun. The arc of the May sun is always much higher than the arc of the May full moon. And it nearly matches that of the December full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

The moon’s arc across our sky varies from month to month and from season to season. Every full moon rises along the eastern horizon, opposite the sun as it sets in the west. Every full moon arcs across the sky throughout the night and sets along the western horizon around dawn.

For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the arc of May’s full moon is lower than the paths of the full moons since December. But it’s higher than the next one which falls in the overnight of June 10 in North America.

Two charts: The first one shows a disk, the December sun, moving across the sky in a high arc above a wavy line representing the horizon. Another, but lower arc shows a disk, the May sun, moving across the sky. The second chart shows a disk, the December full moon, moving across the sky in a low arc, and another disk, the May full moon, moving in a higher arc above a wavy line representing the horizon.
For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the high arc across the sky of the May full moon nearly matches that of the December sun. The arc of the May sun is always much lower than the arc of the May full moon. And it nearly matches that of the December full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

For those folks in the Southern Hemisphere, the full moon’s arc across the sky is climbing higher with each successive month since December. And will continue to do so until the full moon nearest the June solstice.

The May full moon is in Libra

Chart showing an arrow passing a blue disk representing Earth then passing a smaller white disk representing the moon. The arrow is directed between two dots, representing two stars,Spica, and Antares.
The May 2025 full moon occurs on the night of May 12 and lies in the eastern half of the constellation Libra the Scales. Chart via EarthSky.

The full moon on the evening of May 12 is located in the direction of the constellation Libra the Scales. And just before sunrise on May 12, when the moon nears its fullest, it lies near Libra’s eastern border with Scorpius the Scorpion. Then on the night of May 13, when it still looks full, it glows immediately near Scorpius’ brightest star, Antares.

Bottom line: The May full moon occurs in the morning of May 12 before sunrise, but looks full on the previous evening and when it rises at sunset on May 12. And it’s the last full micromoon of 2025.

The post May’s full moon is called the Flower Moon first appeared on EarthSky.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/4MfAsRc
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