May’s Full Flower Moon Peaks This Week—Here’s the Exact Time to See It Rise

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. So it makes sense that the month's first full moon is known as the Flower Moon.

Taking place on the first day of May, which is this Friday, it will reach peak illumination at 1:23 p.m. EDT, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Full moon names come from many places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. “Flower Moon” has been attributed to the Algonquin peoples, according to the Almanac.

The Cree names "Budding Moon" and "Leaf Budding Moon" celebrate the sprouting of local flora, while "Planting Moon" (from the Dakota and Lakota peoples) marks the time when seeds should be planted for the upcoming farming season.

Other names indicate the seasonal activities of animals, such as the Cree names "Egg Laying Moon" and "Frog Moon," as well as the Oglala moniker "Moon of the Shedding Ponies."

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May's first full moon is also a micromoon—which means is more distant than an average full moon. In fact, it’ll be 249,793 miles away, according to EarthSky.org, and will be the first of three full micromoons in a row.

When a full moon occurs near apogee (the point when the moon is farthest from Earth), it’s classified as a “micromoon”—the opposite of a supermoon—so it appears slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.

Even though the upcoming moon will reach its full moon phase when it's below the horizon in the U.S., you have a chance to see the Flower Moon rise at sunset on May 1.

For the best view of the upcoming full moon, head to an open area and watch as it rises above the horizon during dusk on Friday, shortly after sunset. To determine the exact time of moonrise in your location, check the moonrise calculator on TimeandDate.com.

The month's second full moon, the Blue Moon (which is also a micromoon), takes place May 31.