May Flower Full Moon: What It Is, How And When To See May's Full Moon

Each lunar cycle’s full moon has its own name. April’s full moon is the Pink Moon, September has the Harvest Moon, and May’s full moon is frequently called the “Flower Moon” or the “Milk Moon.” But these names don’t mean the moon will necessarily look any different than your average full moon.

Read: NASA Photos: 13 Amazing Images From The First Moon Landing

Why is it called the flower moon?

The name “Flower Moon" actually comes from the season. The name comes from the flowers that are in bloom during the time of the full moon in May around most areas in the United States, the Farmer’s Almanac says. It’s sometimes also called the full "Corn Planting Moon" because May is the perfect time for farmers to begin planting.

This month, viewing the full moon will be best Wednesday evening into early morning Thursday. The moon will be at its fullest then before it begins to wane until it becomes a new moon on May 25. While the moon will appear full all of Wednesday night, there are specific times when it truly will be full, depending on where you are.

If you’re in New York City the moon will be at its fullest before the sun even sets, so you probably won’t see it until after sunset at 8:01 p.m EDT. If you do get a glimpse of it before the sun sets it won’t be clear and the edges may blur into the sky. The full moon will occur at 5:43 p.m. EDT in New York, but it’ll still appear full when you look up later in the evening when it’s fully dark out. If you’re along the East Coast of the U.S this will be true for you as well although the exact time will vary a bit, depending on how close you are to the equator. After the moon rises, it will get higher in the sky until it begins to make its descent around 6:30 a.m. EDT.

If you happen to be in London or Paris you have a much better chance of seeing the full moon at its fullest, if it’s a clear night. The moon will be fullest over London at 10:42 p.m. BST, and in Paris it will be fullest at 11:42 p.m. CEST.

The moon also causes an occultation, meaning it will seem to hide another object in space during its travel. The stellar occultation will occur at 2:20 a.m. EDT when the moon travels and blocks the Gamma Librae star, Space.com said.

The lunar month is 29 days long on average so it shifts slightly as the cycles go through the year, which is why the full moon was on the 11th last month and will be on the 10th this month. June’s full moon will fall on the evening of the June 9.