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On Monday (May 12), the full May moon, called the Flower Moon, will rise in the east at dusk, light up the night, and set in the west at dawn. The moon will also be bright and full on Sunday (May 11) and Tuesday (May 13).
However, the next full moon may appear slightly smaller than usual. This is because it will be a “micromoon,” which is the opposite of a “supermoon.”
The technical term “micromoon” refers to the apogee of the full moon.
The apogee of a full moon occurs when the Earth's satellite orbits our planet in a slightly elliptical orbit, creating moments when the moon is either closest to Earth (perigee) or farthest away (apogee). The latter point this month nearly coincides with the full moon. On Monday, our natural satellite will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away, further than the average distance of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers), according to AstroPixels.
The moon will officially reach 100% fullness at 12:56 p.m. ET, when the sun will still be shining brightly, but the best viewing conditions will be during twilight later in the day. To get the best view of our celestial companion, check your local moonrise and moonset times and pick a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon. The full moon will appear large on the horizon thanks to the lunar illusion, an optical phenomenon that scientists still don’t fully understand. As the moon rises or sets, it will also appear orange due to Rayleigh scattering.
The full moon in May, named for the flowers that bloom in the spring, has many 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 “Milk Moon” comes from the fact that farmers milk their cows three times a day in May, according to Timeanddate.com. Other names include “Mother's Moon,” “Bright Moon,” “Hare's Moon,” and “Grass Moon.”
The next full moon is the Strawberry Moon, which appears on Wednesday, June 11, but will be best seen when it rises at sunset on Tuesday, July 10. It will be the last 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.
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Jamie CarterSocial LinksNavigationLive Science Contributor
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor from Cardiff, UK. He is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Stargazing and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine, and Scientific American, among others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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