The full flower moon — named for the abundance of spring blooms — will reach its peak on May Day. Best seen at dusk on Friday, May 1, it will rise low in the eastern sky shortly after sunset, with atmospheric scattering making it appear orange as it rises. It will be the first of two full moons in May, with a second on May 30, creating a rare blue moon.
Moonrise at Callanish Stone Circle on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
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The flower moon turns full at 1:24 p.m. EDT on May 1, but will appear full to the naked eye the night before and after, with the best viewing at moonrise during dusk on May 1. For the exact time of moonrise where you live, consult a moonrise calculator.
Traditional names for May’s full moon include the flower moon, budding moon, planting moon and frog moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
The flower moon will be a micromoon, the opposite of a supermoon. It will turn full close to apogee, its farthest point from Earth, making it appear slightly smaller and dimmer than average.
The Flower Moon is the fifth full moon of 2026 and part of a year featuring 13 full moons — a quirk caused by the mismatch between the 354-day lunar year and the 365-day solar calendar. This extra lunar cycle results in May hosting two full moons, the second of which is labeled a Blue Moon.
Early May brings the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, peaking overnight on May 5-6, when it may be possible to see fast meteors produced from debris left by Halley’s Comet. The new moon on May 16 will be followed on May 18 by a slender crescent moon shining close to a bright Venus.
May 30’s blue moon will be the smallest full moon in 2026. Later in the year, attention will turn to a dramatic total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, and a run of supermoons in November and December, including a full moon on Christmas Eve.
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