EYES TO THE SKIES FOR MAY’S FULL MOON - THE “FLOWER” MOON! THE FIRST OF TWO FULL MOONS THIS MONTH!💖 🌸🌕🔭✨️ - 01/05/2026
Tonight, on the evening of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd (weather permitting) we will hopefully be treated to views of May’s beautiful full moon which is known to some as the “Flower” Moon.
Tonight’s full Flower Moon will also be the first of two full moons this month. That’s right! There will be two full moons this month! The second full Moon will take place on the 31st and this rare second moon of the month will be known as a “Blue Moon”. We will be creating a post about this special Blue Moon closer to the 31st, so keep your eyes out for that post.
Although the full Moon may not always be the astrophotographer's best of friends, the full Moon always makes for a beautiful sight in the night sky and is an important marker of the seasons for many people.
If you would like to know more about this month’s full moon, plus when and where to see the Flower Moon, please read on…
WHAT IS A FULL MOON?
A full Moon occurs when the Moon’s position in its orbit around Earth, is at its furthest distance from the Sun (almost on the opposite side of the Earth compared to the Sun). This event, when the Earth stands almost directly between the Sun and Moon is also known as a Syzygy. When this happens, the side of the Moon that can be seen from Earth is completely illuminated, giving it the appearance of being full.
On rare occasions the Earth can stand directly in between the Sun and Moon resulting in a lunar eclipse.
FULL MOON NAMES
The full moon of each month has been given names by many cultures and peoples throughout history. The most commonly known full moon names are derived from Native American tribes. The Native American tribes gave distinctions to moons based on the time of year and the weather’s relationships to crop harvests and appearance of certain animals or animal behaviours.
THE “FLOWER” MOON
The full Moon in May is often referred to as ‘The Flower Moon’ and it has been found that this name was attributed to the Algonquin peoples. The reason for this name is that this time of year was known to correspond with abundant springtime flowers and was even referred to as “The Month of Flowers” by Johnathan Carver in the 1798 publication, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America.
There is a myriad of wild flowers which bloom in May in the Northern Hemisphere, where these traditional full Moon names originated. For example, many types of anemones, wild garlic, indigo, bluebells, lupine, sundrops, and violets, to name just a few. It is no wonder that the colourful displays these flowers create in nature have inspired people to name this time after them.
OTHER ALTERNATIVE MAY FULL MOON NAMES
Whilst most commonly known as The Flower Moon, there are plenty of alternative full Moon names, mostly referencing to the arrival of spring.
Some of these names are as follows; The Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon (Cree) celebrate the awakening of local flora. Similarly, Planting Moon/Corn Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) marks the time when seeds should be started for the farming season ahead.
Other names refer to the activities of animals that mark spring’s arrival. For example, the Egg Laying Moon and Frog Moon (Cree), as well as the Moon of the Shedding Ponies (Oglala). All three names indicate that warmer weather is on the way!
Some refer to the Full Moon in May as the Mother's Moon and Milk Moon in reference to the increased fertility and nurturing associated with spring. The Chinese refer to it as the Dragon Moon, the Celts - the Bright Moon and some sources refer to it as Hare Moon, but this name is more common for the March Full Moon.
WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE FULL MOON OCCUR?
This month, the Moon reaches syzygy with the Earth and Sun at around 17:00 BST in the early evening of the 1st of May.
This means that the Moon will appear most full will be as soon as it rises during the early night of the 1st.
The Moon will rise in the early evening of the 1st at around 21:00 BST towards the South-East. As the night progresses the Moon will climb in the sky travelling towards the South where the Moon will reach its highest point in the sky at an altitude of 14 degrees at roughly 01:05 BST on the morning of the 2nd. Following this, the Moon will begin to descend travelling towards the South-West where it will set in the morning skies at around 05:00 BST.
Remember that you don’t really need to know the exact time of peak illumination to enjoy viewing the full Moon, as the Moon will appear full throughout the night and on the nights surrounding the peak.
WHERE AMONG THE STARS CAN THE MOON BE FOUND?
On the night of the 1st our natural satellite will be hitching a ride in the zodiacal constellation of Libra.
More specifically, the Moon can be found around 5 degrees below the star Zubenelgenubi, and roughly halfway between the stars Spica and Antares.
The zodiacal constellation of Libra can be found in between the constellations of Virgo and Scorpius and below the constellation of Serpens Caput.
LUNAR OBSERVATION
The great thing about observing the Moon is that you don’t have to go and find a particularly dark location to view it. As the Moon is such a bright object in the sky, you can view it from brighter locations, even from the centre of a heavily light polluted city. Weather permitting of course.
MOON RISE/SET – MOON ILLUSION
It's always lovely to watch the moon rise/set, so if you can head out to witness the Moon rise or set, please do. Every time the Moon rises and sets it takes on a beautiful golden, amber colour and appears larger at this time too, due to an optical illusion known as the ‘Moon illusion’. It's truly special to witness. As it rises and glides higher, its colour will transition into a bright white.
Sometimes the Moon can appear even more orangey red than usual too! The hue of the moon typically depends on atmospheric conditions wherever you’re viewing it from. Things like clouds, dust, haze, smoke or pollution can cause the moon to appear different colours by scattering much of the blue light shining onto our natural satellite, leaving it with a more reddish tone.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE NIGHT SKY THROUGHOUT MAY?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen in the skies throughout May, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for May 2026.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND PHOTOGRAPHS!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you head out to witness or capture photos of this special celestial event or any other sights in the night sky, please feel free to share your stories and photos in the comments below. 😊
GOOD LUCK AND CLEAR SKIES
This month’s full Moon will be a beautiful sight, and if you can, we recommend heading out to witness this May’s Flower Moon!
Good luck if you head out folks. Wrap up warm if you do. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clear skies 💖
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