April gave us the pink moon, which appeared on the first of the month (April Fool’s Day.)
Now, May’s full moon is just days away. But guess what — May will have two full moons, one at the beginning and another at the end of the month.
Here’s what to know about them.
When are the May full moons?
May will have two full moons.
One will be at the beginning of the month, on May 1, called the flower moon. It will peak at 1:23 p.m. ET.
The other, called the blue moon, rises at the end of the month on May 31 at 4:45 a.m. ET., according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The second May full moon is going to be a micromoon
You may have heard of a supermoon — we witnessed three supermoons last year. But have you ever heard of a micromoon?
The flower moon, appearing on May 1, will be at its regular full-moon size. But the blue moon at the end of the month will appear smaller than usual.
A micromoon is the exact opposite of a supermoon. May’s second full moon will occur just before apogee, the point at which the moon is farthest from Earth, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac. When the full moon appears, the moon will be smaller and dimmer than usual.
How often do we see a blue moon?
Blue moons are not all that uncommon, occurring every 2–3 years, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. After May 2026, May 2027 and December 2028 will also bring blue moons, according to RMG.
How did the flower moon get its name?
You might assume the May full moon is called the flower moon because it’s spring, and you’re right — many flowers are blooming.
The nickname flower moon has also been attributed to Algonquin peoples, a Native American tribe, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The second May full moon, the blue moon, isn’t named after the color of the moon. The truth is, it wasn’t named after anything, but became a trend after a mistake was printed in a 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope Magazine, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac.
What phase of the lunar cycle is the moon in now?
As of April 17, the moon is zero days old with 0% illumination, aka a new moon, according to Space.com.
The moon’s phases in April and May are:
What are the two types of blue moon?
There are two ways to achieve a blue moon.
One is to have two full moons in a calendar month, like we will have in May 2026. That is a called a calendrical blue moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The other way is when their are four full moons in an astronomical season (there are typically three). That is known as a seasonal blue moon, and the third full moon in that situation is the blue moon, according to the almanac.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: May has two full moons. How often it happens, when to see them in Ohio
Reporting by Mariyam Muhammad, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
