May will begin and end with full moons. But whether or not you’ll be able to see them in a cloudless sky is still up in the air.
Here’s what to know about your chances to see the first full moon.
What is May’s full moon called?
May’s full moon is known as the flower moon. It’ll light up the night sky on Friday, May 1, which marks the midpoint between summer and spring.
The Flower Moon was given that name because it falls in the middle of spring, when flowers, trees and bushes bloom throughout nature.
Like other full moons, May’s full moon is known by multiple names given to it by different cultures throughout history, including Frog Moon, Milk Moon and Hare’s Moon, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
When is the Flower Moon in Iowa?
May’s first full moon is on May 1. It will peak at 12:23 p.m. CT, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
It will continue to be visible for the next several nights.
Will Iowa have clear skies for May’s full moon?
The National Weather Service is predicting 20 to 30% of cloud cover on Friday evening in Iowa, as of 10 a.m. on Thursday.
May’s will also feature a blue moon
The Flower Moon won’t be the only full moon we can expect this month. A blue moon will also take place on May 31, giving us two full moons, one on the first day of the month and another on the last day of the month.
A blue moon is not a common occurrence, hence the expression “once in a blue moon,” and only occurs every 2.5 years, according to NASA.
The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was a super blue moon, meaning it was the closest it had been to Earth that month and appeared brighter and larger.
The blue moon occurring later in the month will appear smaller than usual, a phenomenon known as a micromoon. According to NASA, this occurs when the celestial body is at its farthest point from Earth, about 251,000 miles away.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Next full moon kicks off May. Will it be visible in Iowa?
Reporting by Lucia Cheng and Julia Gomez, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
