Full moon dates for 2025 as Flower Moon to illuminate night sky
Astronomers may refer to the Flower Moon by other names including the Hare Moon
It is worth looking up at tonight's sky as May's full moon will be shining bright. The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective.
A full moon is not uncommon, this month's 'Flower Moon' will be the fifth of the year after last month's Pink Moon. A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days. This is the length of time it takes for the Moon to go through one whole lunar phase cycle.
The May full moon gets its name from the abundance of wildflowers that spring into life at this time of year. The name was given by the Native Americans.
Astronomers may refer to the Flower Moon by other names including the Hare Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon. While some people love a full moon, others find it to be a hindrance as it can dim the celestial objects around it due to its brightness. It is one of of the brightest objects in the sky, along with the Sun and planet Venus.
The next full moon can be enjoyed this evening, Royal Museums Greenwich says it will reach its full stage in the early evening at 5.56pm. The time refers to the exact moment when the Sun and Moon are aligned on opposite sides of the Earth.
BBC Sky at Night Magazine explains where to look as the full moon makes an appearance. They report: "From the UK, the 2025 Flower Moon will rise in the southeast.
"It will be beneath the constellation Libra and won't rise very high in the sky, meaning a clear horizon will be of benefit. The Moon will then work its way across the southern part of the sky, before setting in the southwest in the early hours around dawn."
The Flower Moon, is what's known as a 'micromoon'. A micromoon is a full moon that appears smaller and dimmer than usual because it coincides with the Moon's apogee, the point in its orbit furthest from Earth.
2025 has been a year full of spectacular astronomical events so far. Earlier this month, the Eta Aquariid meteor peaked. The Eta Aquariids is a moderately active meteor shower associated with the Comet Halley. The name comes Eta Aquarii, a star in the Aquarius constellation which is believed to be the origin point of the meteor shower. The peak happened on May 5, with a peak rate of 40 meteors every hour.
In February, people enjoyed a rare alignment of seven planets in our solar system. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Mercury were all visible, some with the naked eye and others with specialist equipment.
Full moons are a constant in the astronomy calendar, January's Wolf Moon, February's Snow Moon, March's Worm Moon and April's Pink Moon have already illuminated the sky. Below are the rest of the full moons that will appear in the night sky this year and the time they will rise, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
Full Moon calendar for 2025
May 12, 5.5pm - Flower Moon
June 11, 8.44am - Strawberry Moon
July 10, 8.44am - Buck Moon
August 9, 8.55am - Sturgeon Moon
September 7, 7.09pm - Corn/Harvest Moon
October 7, 4.48am - Hunter's Moon
November 5, 1.19pm - Beaver Moon
December 4, 11.14pm 0 Cold Moon