Topline

The full flower moon rose during dusk on Friday, May 1. It was the first of two full moons in May, the second a so-called monthly blue moon on May 30. That can happen because the moon orbits Earth every 29.5 days, though two full moons occur in the same calendar month only every two to three years. Here are some of the best photos of the flower moon from across the world.

Key Facts

Why It’s Called The Flower Moon

May’s full moon is traditionally known as the flower moon, a name inspired by the abundance of wildflowers that bloom across the Northern Hemisphere in late spring. Other historic names for May’s full moon include the planting moon, reflecting the start of the agricultural season, the hare’s moon and the milk moon, the latter linked to a time when cows could be milked more frequently as fresh pasture became widely available.

What Causes A Full Moon

A full moon happens when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, allowing sunlight to fully illuminate the side of the moon facing us. From our perspective, the lunar disk appears complete — a bright, round orb rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.

Why The Moon Looks Fully Lit

The moon does not produce its own light — it merely reflects sunlight. The sun is always illuminating half of the moon, just as it lights half of Earth at any given time. During the full moon phase, the entire sunlit half of the moon faces Earth, so we see it as fully illuminated. This is why the full moon appears so bright. It is not changing its own light output, but simply presenting the maximum amount of its sunlit surface toward us.

Why We Only See One Side Of The Moon

We always see the same face of the moon because it is tidally locked to Earth. This means the moon rotates once on its axis in the same time it takes to orbit our planet — about 27.3 days. As a result, one lunar day lasts as long as one lunar orbit. The moon’s far side remains permanently out of view from Earth, though spacecraft have photographed it extensively since the space age began.

Why Full Moons Are 29.5 Days Apart

Although the moon completes one orbit around Earth in 27.3 days, the time between one full moon and the next is longer — about 29.5 days. This is called the synodic month. The reason is that Earth is also moving around the sun. After the moon completes one orbit, it must travel a little farther to reach the same sun-Earth-moon alignment again, creating the familiar monthly rhythm of lunar phases.

What Comes Next In The Night Sky

Early May brings the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, peaking overnight on May 5–6, when fast meteors created by debris from Halley’s Comet may streak across the pre-dawn sky. The new moon on May 16 will create darker skies, followed on May 18 by a slender crescent moon shining close to brilliant Venus. Later in the month, May 30’s blue moon will be the smallest full moon of 2026.

Further Reading

ForbesSee A Brilliant Full ‘Flower Moon’ Rise: The Night Sky This WeekBy Jamie CarterForbesYour Full Moon Guide For 2026 — All 13 Dates For Your DiaryBy Jamie CarterForbesThe Full ‘Flower Moon’ Is Coming — When To See It Rise On May DayBy Jamie Carter