by orphaned Fri May 17, 2019 10:22 pm
A spectacular Blue Flower Moon will light up the sky this weekend, on Saturday 18th May.
This year has seen some incredible celestial events already, from March's full Worm Moon to the beautiful Pink Moon in April, and a shining full Snow Moon in February. And May's Flower Moon is set to be just as impressive.
When can we see the Blue Flower Moon?
On Saturday 18th May, the full moon will hit its peak at 5:11pm, according to Penn Live. This is well before sunset so you might want to wait until it's dark to get a brighter view. With warm weather and cloudless skies predicted, you could be for a good chance of seeing the spectacular full moon.
What is a Blue Moon?
You may be familiar with the saying 'once in a blue moon', but how often do we actually see them? According to NASA, we see them once every two and half years.
There are two types of Blue Moons which can appear. These are...
The seasonal blue moon
This one is the third full moon in an astronomical season with four full moons.
The monthly blue moon
This one is the second full moon in a month with two full moons.
Blue Moons don't actually turn blue. The next one coming up on 18th May is expected to look just like an ordinary full moon.
Why is it called a 'Flower' Moon?
Known as the Blue 'Flower' Moon, May's moon was named so by native American tribes because it appears during spring when flowers start to blossom.
It can also be referred to as a Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, or Corn Planting Moon.
