In April, we saw a planet “parade” and the stunning Lyrid meteor shower.
And May’s holding its own on the astronomical front, too – it’s beginning with a “micromoon” in the form of its “flower” full moon.
Here’s why that’s happening and when to see it:
What is a “micromoon”?
The moon’s orbit around our planet isn’t a perfect circle, and the Earth isn’t in the middle of its elliptical orbit either. That means there are times when the moon is either closer or farther away from the Earth.
When the moon’s at its closest point to the Earth, it’s called a lunar perigee. That’s when we may see phenomena like “supermoons”.
And when it’s the furthest away, it’s called an “apogee”. Royal Museums Greenwich said, “if a lunar apogee occurs very close to a full moon then we see a micromoon”.
In May 2026, the full moon – known as a flower moon – will rise during an apogee. That means the full moon will look smaller than usual, because it’s slightly further away from Earth.
It might also seem a little less bright.
When can I see May’s “flower” micromoon?
The full moon will rise on Friday, 1 May. In the UK, it’ll rise at 6:23pm.
Where can I see the “flower” micromoon in the UK?
It’ll be visible as soon as it gets dark on Friday, given clear skies.
Unfortunately, cloudy conditions are predicted in much of the UK that night, though the BBC expects the cloud cover to be “patchy”.
Don’t fret if you miss the micromoon, however. May will also see a rare “blue moon” towards the end of the month.
Why is May’s full moon called a “flower moon”?
Unsurprisingly, it’s called this because of the abundance of flowers, including wildflowers, in the month.
Other names include, or have historically included, the “blossom moon”, the “corn-planting moon”, and the “mothers’ moon”.
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