The May full moon phase will occur at 1:23 p.m. EDT (1723 GMT) on May 1, when the lunar disk will appear opposite the sun in the sky, with its familiar Earth-facing side fully lit. The May full moon is known as the “Flower Moon“, in reference to the plentiful blooms that burst to life as the warm spring weather takes hold.
May will feature not one, but two full moons, with the second peaking at 4:45 a.m. EDT on May 31 (0845 GMT) on May 31. The second full moon in any given month is known as a Blue Moon. A monthly Blue Moon occurs roughly once every 2.5-3 years, so we won’t see another month with two full moons until December 2028, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
When to see the May full moon
May’s moon reaches its full moon phase while below the horizon for viewers in the U.S., who will get their chance to see the Flower Moon rise at sunset on May 1, as the lunar disk climbs over the southeastern horizon.
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The moon may appear particularly impressive during moonrise thanks to a phenomenon known as the Moon Illusion, wherein our brains trick us into thinking that the lunar disk is larger than it actually is as it glows close to the horizon, with foreground objects like buildings nearby.
You may also see the moon take on a vivid yellow-orange hue as it sits close to the horizon. This happens because its light passes through more of Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters away the shorter blue wavelengths and lets the longer red tones pass through, an effect known as Rayleigh scattering.
The table below notes local full moon timings for when the moon is 100% illuminated in a selection of cities around the world (moonset and moonrise times will vary by location). For precise timings where you are, check out Time and Date’s moonrise tracker.
|
City |
Local time |
|---|---|
|
New York |
1:23 p.m. EDT on May 1 |
|
London |
6:23 p.m. BST on May 1 |
|
Beijing |
1:23 a.m. CST on May 2 |
|
Tokyo |
2:23 a.m. JST on May 2 |
|
Sydney |
3:23 a.m. AEST on May 2 |
Why it’s called the Flower Moon
The May full moon is called the Flower Moon, reflecting the abundance of colorful blooms that appear across the northern hemisphere at this time of year. It is also known as the Leafing Moon and the Budding Moon by the Native American Cree people, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, while the European Anglo-Saxons called it the Milking Moon, in reference to the ample milk produced by cows in May, per Time and Date.
It is also known as the Egg-Laying Moon and the Moon of the Shedding Ponies and as the Planting Moon by the Dakota and Lakota people of North America.
Cultural traditions and festivals
The May 1 full moon coincides with the festival of May Day in Europe, when revellers gather to celebrate the beginning of summer — a celebration that is often accompanied by traditionally dressed performers who dance around a wooden pole decorated with ribbons or greenery known as a Maypole. The festival’s origins stretch back to the Roman festival of Floralia, which was held to celebrate the goddess of spring and fertility and has been reinvented numerous times in the centuries that followed, according to the National Trust.
The May 1 full moon will also rise on Labour Day, or International Workers Day, which celebrates the struggle for fair rights and conditions in the workplace. Over 160 countries observe Labour Day on May 1, the anniversary of the Haymarket Riot, when several protesters and policemen were killed during a demonstration to reduce working hours, according to Time and Date. Other countries, including the U.S. and Canada, choose to celebrate the day on Sept. 7.
For Buddhists, this May 1 will also mark Vesak Day — one of the most sacred days in the spiritual calendar, which celebrates the birth of Gautama Buddha in the year 623 B.C., along with the day he achieved enlightenment and the day that he passed, at eighty years of age, per the United Nations. Buddhists often celebrate Vesak with processions, by visiting temples, meditating and through acts of fasting, while adherents in India may immerse themselves in the river Ganga to wash away their sins.
What else to see in the sky around the full moon
The moon will rise above the southeastern horizon at sunset on May 1, flooding the spring sky with reflected sunlight and making it challenging to spot all but the brightest nearby stars.
The blue-white light of the star Spica will be visible twinkling to the upper right of the lunar disk in the constellation Virgo, while the red supergiant Arcturus glows to its upper left in Bootes.
Venus will be visible as a bright point of light shining above the western sky at moonrise, roughly 20 degrees — or the width of two clenched fists held at arm’s length — above the horizon. Be sure to catch it before it sets, just a little over two hours after the sun!
Look to the upper left of Venus to find Jupiter, the second brightest object in the night sky, glowing in the constellation Gemini, with Sirius — the brightest star in the night sky — shining off to the left, close to the southwestern horizon. Together, the three bodies form a kind of cosmic triangle, with the baleful light of the red giant star Betelgeuse at its heart.
Saturn, meanwhile, will appear as a steady star-like object shining low on the eastern horizon in the hour preceding dawn on May 2, with the red light of Mars glowing to its lower left, almost lost in the glow of the rising sun.
Observing tips
May’s full moon is a great time to explore the lesser-known lunar seas such as Sinus Medii and Mare Frigoris, as the entirety of Earth‘s natural satellite bathes in the light of the sun.
Why not try to immortalize your view of the Flower Moon by capturing it using a DSLR camera and a telephoto lens? You could also take images throughout the month to track how the shifting shadows alter the moon’s appearance as it circles our planet. Be sure to make use of our expert guide to photographing the moon, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography, if you want to upgrade your equipment.
- Use a tripod to keep your camera as steady as possible.
- Use a remote shutter/timer to prevent camera wobble.
- A smartphone stargazing app can help you find the exact point of moonrise on your local horizon.
- A lens with a focal length of 12-50 mm is useful for landscape photography, while a focal length of at least 400 mm is advised for capturing more detailed views of the lunar surface.
- The moon can be made to appear particularly large while close to the horizon next to foreground objects, where it may take on an orange-yellow appearance thanks to Rayleigh scattering. A cleaner, more “classic” view can be captured as it soars high overhead.
Upcoming full moons
|
Month |
Full moon name |
Date and time |
|---|---|---|
|
May |
Blue Moon |
4:45 a.m. EDT (0845 GMT) on May 31 |
|
June |
Strawberry Moon |
7:57 p.m. EDT (2357 GMT) on June 29 |
|
July |
Buck Moon |
10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT) on July 29 |
These times mark the exact instant of full illumination. Your own moonrise or moonset may be hours earlier or later, depending on your location. For the best viewing plan, use an app such as Stellarium or SkySafari 7 Pro to find your local moonrise time and be sure to read our full moon calendar for comprehensive timings for each full moon in 2026.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your full moon photos with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s) along with your name, the location and any comments on what it was like to capture the picture to spacephotos@space.com.