May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon. Here's how to watch it rise.
On Monday (May 12), May's full moon, known as the Flower Moon, will appear in the east during dusk, will shine all night, and will set in the west as dawn appears. The moon will also appear bright and full on Sunday (May 11) and Tuesday (May 13).
However, the next full moon may look a tiny bit smaller than average. That's because it will be a 'micromoon,' the opposite of a 'supermoon.'
The technical term for a 'micromoon' is an apogee full moon.
Related: Full moons of 2025: When is the next full moon?
An apogee full moon occurs because our planet's satellite orbits Earth along a slightly elliptical path, creating points when the moon is either closest to Earth ( perigee ) or farthest ( apogee ). The latter point this month almost coincides with a full moon. On Monday, our natural satellite will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away instead of the average 238,855 miles (384,400 km), according to AstroPixels .
The moon will officially be 100% full at 12:56 p.m. EDT, when the sun is still bright overheard, but will be best observed during dusk later that day. To best view our celestial companion, check the moonrise and moonset times for your location and be in a place with a low view of the eastern horizon. The full moon will appear large on the horizon thanks to the moon illusion — a trick of visual perception that scientists don't fully understand. As the moon rises or falls, it will also look orange because of Rayleigh scattering .
Related: Best binoculars for stargazing
May's full moon, named for the flowers that bloom in spring, has plenty of other names. The Anishinaabe, or Ojibwe, of the Great Lakes region call it the Sucker Moon, according to the Center for Native American Studies .
Meanwhile, the Anglo-Saxon name, the Milk Moon, comes from the fact that people tend to milk cows three times a day in May, according to Timeanddate.com . Other names include Mothers' Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon and Grass Moon.
The next full moon will be the Strawberry Moon, which appears on Wednesday, June 11, though it will be best seen as it rises during dusk on Tuesday, July 10. It will be the final full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and fall in the Southern Hemisphere, occurring just 11 days before the summer solstice on Saturday, June 21. Moon quiz: What do you know about our nearest celestial neighbor?
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14-06-2025
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June's Strawberry Moon treats skywatchers to a rare low-riding show (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. June's full 'Strawberry Moon' lit up the night sky last night, treating skywatchers to a rare once-in-a-18-year display as it rode low across the southern horizon. Skywatchers were served the lowest full moon in almost two decades, thanks in part to a quirk of orbital mechanics known to astronomers as a "major lunar standstill". This phenomenon occurs over a two-year period when the moon's tilted orbit is at its greatest inclination relative to our planet's celestial equator (which is essentially Earth's normal equator projected out into space). During a major lunar standstill, the moon can be seen rising and setting at more extreme positions on the horizon, while tracking a very high — or low — path through the night sky depending on the time of year. June's Strawberry Moon occurs close to the southern solstice for those in the southern hemisphere, which means that it's never particularly high in the sky to begin with. The major lunar standstill exacerbated this effect, making the June full moon the lowest full moon in almost two decades. This month's full Strawberry Moon was named for the brief fruit picking season that occurs around this time each year by Algonquian, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Read on to see the best pictures of the 2025 Strawberry Moon as captured by the global astrophotography community. As always, if you missed last night's full moon don't worry. The lunar disk will continue to appear (almost) fully lit for the next few nights, so be sure to read up on the best practices for observing and photographing the lunar surface as it transitions to a waning gibbous moon in the coming days. Space enthusiast Marwella Zhang was able to capture this detailed portrait of the Flower Moon around midnight from Bangka Island in Indonesia, while grappling with the haze caused by tropical storm Wutip. "After sunset, the sky was starting to get clear," Zhang told in an email. "I took my first shot, but the sky was still hazy. By midnight, as it had been predicted, the sky got clear, and I took the opportunity to get a better shot of the moon." New York's photography contingent also showed up in force to capture stunning compositions of the full moon framed by the iconic city skyline. Photographer Gary Hershorn was able to position himself to capture the orange orb of the Strawberry Moon hanging above the spire of the Empire State Building on the night of June 10. Hershorn also used a powerful lens to snap the moment Earth's natural satellite appeared to brush up against the famous landmark, creating a colorful scene that blends the warm reflected sunlight bouncing off the lunar surface with the glow of the city beneath. Kristin Louise Raught caught a striking view of the Strawberry Moon hanging over the ghostly form of Mt. Rainier in Washington State on June 10. "I went out to get a photo of the moon directly over Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) but I saw the ferry coming and wanted to include it in the photo," Raught told in an email. "Rather than wait for the moon to align with the mountain, I decided to instead catch the ferry at the last possible moment before it disappeared behind the building on the pier," explained Raught. "I wanted to preserve the detail in the moon, so I opted for less light in the photo overall. I was happy that the sailboat was positioned so perfectly at this moment, it adds a wonderful detail to the photo." Andrew von Rathonyi took a different approach when eyeing the moon from the town of Irondequoit, New York, choosing to frame the celestial body as it appeared to graze the top of a low-hanging cloud, illuminating its fringes with reflected sunlight. One particularly striking shot was captured by Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed in the city of Halabja, Iraq, which featured the silhouette of a man playing the violin on a hillside, framed by the rising form of the full moon. Ismael Adnan Yaqoob was able to snap the Strawberry Moon as it rose above a ferris wheel in the Iraqi city of Duhok on the night of June 10, at which point it had moved further from the horizon, losing the orange glow of moonrise. Photographer Isla Terli was able to snap the silhouette of a passenger airliner from Turkey as it passed across the face of the full Strawberry Moon, along with the prominent craters, ejecta rays and lunar seas that mark its surface. 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Missed the strawberry moon? Here's when the next full moon will be
Skies lit up with a rare strawberry moon on June 10, but some may not have seen the celestial phenomenon. The full moon, which appeared in hues of orange and red, peaked around 3:44 a.m. ET on June 11, but it was advised to check it out on the evening of June 10. The strawberry moon is the most colorful of the year because it takes a low and shallow path across the sky, said Bob Bonadurer, director of the Milwaukee Public Museum's planetarium. The full moon's arc across the sky means moonlight must travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere, which can give it a colorful tint, he added. The moon gets its "strawberry" name from the Native American Algonquian tribes, who lived in the northwestern United States, according to the Almanac, and not from the color. The Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota tribes also used the name, which marked the wild strawberries season in June. The full moon is also unique because it appeared lower due to the Earth being in "a major lunar standstill," according to EarthSky, which impacts the moon's orbit around the Earth. "It's all about the inclination of the moon's orbit, which undergoes an 18.6-year cycle," writes EarthSky's John Jardine Goss. "The cycle happens because the moon's orbit is being slowly dragged around — mostly due to the pull of the sun — every 18.6 years." The last major lunar standstill occurred in 2006. In case you missed the strawberry moon, it might be partially visible on the night of July 12. Meanwhile, here is when the rest of 2025's full moons are expected: July 10- Buck Moon Aug. 9- Sturgeon Moon Sept. 7- Harvest Moon Oct. 6- Hunter's Moon Nov. 5- Beaver Moon Dec. 4- Cold Moon Summer solstice with a treat: How to see the full strawberry moon Contributing: Julia Gomez, Doyle Rice, Janet Loehrke & Carlie Procell / USA TODAY Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missed the strawberry moon? Here's the 2025 full moon schedule
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
'The Old Farmer's Almanac' Reveals When Every Full Moon Will Happen in 2025
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." It takes the moon approximately 29.5 days to complete all eight lunar phases, meaning a full moon occurs roughly every month. The next full moon, the Strawberry Moon, will take place on June 11, 2025 The name attributed to a full moon has more to do with what's happening in the environment during that lunar phase than the appearance of the moon. It's said to be the rarest full moon we'll see this year. From picturesque beaches to the world's natural wonders, Earth has a lot to offer. However, those marvels can sometimes seem out of reach because of location, money or time. But there's one beauty that remains unrestricted — space. There's always something to see in the sky: constellations, meteor showers, comets and moon phases. The trick is knowing when to look. Thankfully, released a list of , complete with timestamps to view at peak illumination. Beyond information on full moon dates and times, the outlet also shared details on types of full moons. Some, you may be familiar with, such as a Corn Moon or Flower Moon, but others may be completely new. Anyone heard of a Sturgeon Moon? We've got the full Farmer's Almanac breakdown below. There's a good chance you've heard of The Old Farmer's Almanac, but you may not be familiar with its actual purpose. The resource began publication in 1792, releasing annual information on everything from long-range weather predictions, gardening tips, moon phases, recipes and more. This information was especially helpful for farmers and gardeners, but over time, others began to take note, due in large part to the almanac's reliability. The outlet claims to have an 80% accuracy rate. Because of this, it continues to be used as a helpful guide, even 233 years after its first publication. 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For instance, a Snow Moon occurs in February, not because the moon looks whiter than usual, but because snowfall is typically greatest during the month of February. While nearly half of this year's full moons have already occurred, there's still a chance to catch the remaining seven. Here's everything you need to know about the next full moon, including its date, best viewing time and what it means. January 13: Wolf Moon(Peak Illumination- 5:27 p.m. ET)The Wolf Moon became synonymous with January because of the habits of wildlife. Wolves, in particular, can be heard howling for food, claiming territory and gathering with packmates during this time of year. Other cultures refer to this moon as the Center Moon or Spirit Moon. February 12: Snow Moon(Peak Illumination- 8:53 a.m. ET)February earned its name, Snow Moon, from Captain Jonathan Carver, who said, "more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.' The Snow Moon is also referred to as the Eagle Moon or Bear Moon. March 14: Worm Moon(Peak Illumination- 2:55 a.m. ET)The arrival of spring sees earthworms wriggle to the top of warming soil that gets churned over for fresh flowers and vegetables. Because of this, March's moon is called the Worm Moon. It's also known as a Sugar Moon or Sore Eyes Moon in other cultures. April 12: Pink Moon(Peak Illumination- 8:22 p.m. ET)April is known as the month of the Pink Moon because wild ground phlox, one of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring, covers the ground in a blanket of pink. In other cultures, April is marked by the Breaking Ice Moon or Frog Moon. May 12: Flower Moon(Peak Illumination- 12:56 p.m. ET)Named after peak blooms seen throughout the month, the Algonquin and Ojibwe peoples assigned May the Flower Moon. Other groups, such as the Cree, Dakota and Lakota, associate May with the Budding Moon and Planting Moon. June 11: Strawberry Moon(Peak Illumination- 3:44 a.m. ET)Inspired by the ripe strawberries that are ready to pick in June, the lunar phase earned the name Strawberry Moon. Additional names for the June full moon are Hot Moon and Birth Moon. It's said this will be the rarest full moon we see this year. For starters, it only happens every 18 years, . Another thing? It's the lowest a full moon has been in nearly 20 years— July 10: Buck Moon(Peak Illumination- 4:37 p.m. ET)Hunters will be unsurprised to know, July is when bucks, male deer, are in full antler growth. So the month's moon was named after them, Buck Moon. Raspberry Moon and Salmon Moon are also attributed to July. August 9: Sturgeon Moon(Peak Illumination- 3:55 a.m. ET)Named after a migratory fish found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, August is associated with the Sturgeon Moon. The fish used to be in much greater abundance than it is today. Ricing Moon and Black Cherries Moon are also known for August. September 7: Corn Moon(Peak Illumination- 2:09 p.m. ET)As the dominant crop of the Midwest, September resonates with the Corn Moon, which begins to enter harvest in early fall. Other names for the September moon are the Harvest Moon and Autumn Moon. October 6: Hunter's Moon(Peak Illumination- 11:48 p.m. ET)In preparation for winter, many animals stock up on food during the month of October, making it a bountiful period for hunting. That's why it has the name Hunter's Moon. The month has also been attributed to the Ice Moon and Migrating Moon. November 5: Beaver Moon(Peak Illumination- 8:19 a.m. ET)Marked by the beaver's completed preparations for cold weather, November's moon was coined the Beaver Moon. Additional names for November's full moon are the Frost Moon and Whitefish Moon. December 4: Cold Moon(Peak Illumination- 6:14 p.m. ET)Fairly self-explanatory, December's full moon is named the Cold Moon after the month's rapidly dropping temperatures. Long Night Moon and Mid-Winter Moon have also been used to describe this period of time. You Might Also Like 67 Best Gifts for Women That'll Make Her Smile The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper
