When is the May full moon? Why is it called the flower moon?
From the total solar eclipse to the aurora borealis visible in dozens of states, 2024 has shown Americans some spectacular celestial displays. While some events are rare treats, plenty goes on in the sky every month.
Full moons occur roughly every 29.5 days. In April, the "pink moon" passed overhead, and in a few more days, we'll see the "flower moon."
Despite the name, our last full moon wasn't actually pink. So, where did it get the name? How about this month's title? Here's some info on 2024's full moons, where they get their titles, alternative names for each one and more.
When was the last full moon?
The last full moon reached its peak on April 23. The April 2024 moon was known as the pink moon, though it wasn't actually pink.
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When is the next full moon?
The next full moon, 2024's "flower moon," will occur in three days on Thursday, May 23.
The Old Farmer's Almanac says that the moon peaks at 9:53 a.m. For the best view, they suggest finding an area with clear views of the horizon on the nights of June 22-23.
The Almanac also offers seasonal suggestions around each of the full moons. In May, it suggests:
Planting aboveground crops - May 11, 12
Planting belowground crops - May 3, 4, 30, 31
Setting eggs - May 1, 17-19, 27, 28
Fishing - May 7-23
It also offers a few pieces of folklore around the May full moon:
Clothes that are washed for the first time in the Full Moon will not last long.
The Full Moon is an ideal time to accept a proposal of marriage.
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When is the June full moon?
After the flower moon comes the strawberry moon, which will occur on June 21.
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Why is it called the flower moon?
Previous reporting by the Hendersonville Times-News said that the 12 full moons each year are named by Native American tradition. In the same article UNC Asheville Associate Professor of Astronomy Britt Lundren reminded readers that, when sharing the titles of the monthly moons, it's important to remember the cultural diversity of tribes in the U.S. This diversity means that there are actually multiple names for each of the full moons every year.
"Each tribe has a close relationship with the land, and their moon names will reflect the seasonal changes unique to their environments," Lundren said.
May's title simply refers to the many flowers that grow during the month. The name is attributed to the Algonquin people. Other names for the flower moon include:
Budding Moon (Cree)
Egg Laying Moon (Cree)
Frog Moon (Cree)
Leaf Budding Moon (Cree)
Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota)
Moon of Shedding Ponies (Oglala)
The name "strawberry moon" comes from a similarly simple source; In many areas of the U.S., June is the peak of strawberry season. Other names for June's full moon include:
Berries Ripen Moon (Haida)
Birth Moon (Tlingit)
Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe)
Egg Laying Moon (Cree)
Hatching Moon (Cree)
Green Corn Moon (Cherokee)
Hot Moon
Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki)
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2024 full moon names
Here's a list of the full moon names for 2024, courtesy of the Old Farmer's Almanac:
January - Wolf Moon
February - Snow Moon
March - Worm Moon
April - Pink Moon
May - Flower Moon
June - Strawberry Moon
July - Buck Moon
August - Sturgeon Moon
September - Corn Moon
October - Hunter Moon
November - Beaver Moon
December - Cold Moon
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: When is the next full moon? May "flower moon" will rise soon