Super Flower Blood Moon May 26, 2021 Live
May’s full Moon reaches its peak on Wednesday, May 26! This full Moon will be the closest full Moon of the year, making it the second of two supermoons—don’t miss it! Plus, it will coincide with a total lunar eclipse in some areas. Here’s everything you should know about this month’s full Moon, including how it came to be called the “Flower Moon.”
#LunarEclipse
When to See the Full Moon in May 2021
May’s full Flower Moon reaches peak illumination at 7:14 A.M. (EDT) on Wednesday, May 26. It will be very close to or below the horizon at this time, so plan to venture outdoors the night before (Tuesday, May 25) or on Wednesday night to get the best view of the bright full Flower Moon! Find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon, if possible. See what time the Moon will be visible in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator.
Don’t Miss the “Blood Moon” Total Lunar Eclipse… Visible in Some Areas!
This month’s full Moon coincides with a total lunar eclipse! A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth stands directly between the Moon and the Sun, which results in Earth casting its shadow on the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is fully obscured by Earth’s shadow, giving the Moon a reddish hue. This phenomenon is where the term “blood moon” comes from.
This total lunar eclipse occurs in the pre-dawn hours of May 26 and will only be visible for stargazers in western North America, western South America, eastern Asia, and Oceania. In the U.S., those who are located east of the Mississippi will experience a partial lunar eclipse before the Moon sets below the horizon, and those along the East Coast won’t see much of anything, unfortunately. Because the Moon will be so low in the sky during the eclipse, you’ll need to find a high vantage point with a clear view of the horizon.
The Moon will enter the outer edge of Earth’s shadow (called the “penumbra”) at 4:46 A.M. EDT (1:46 A.M. PDT) and reach the darkest part of its shadow (the “umbra”) at 5:45 A.M. EDT (2:45 A.M. PDT). The Moon will leave the umbra at 8:53 A.M. EDT (5:53 A.M. PDT) and the penumbra at 9:51 A.M. EDT (6:51 A.M. PDT).
Super Flower Moon: The Closest Supermoon of 2021
Two supermoons occur in 2021—the first was April’s Pink Moon and the second will be May’s Flower Moon.
When the full Moon appears this month, it will be ever-so-slightly closer to Earth than it was in April, meaning that May’s Flower Moon will be the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year—technically speaking. To the naked eye, May’s full Moon won’t actually look any bigger or brighter than April’s, since the Moon’s distance from Earth differs by less than 100 miles between April and May. This is a miniscule distance in the grand scale of space, but we will still see a bright, beautiful supermoon nonetheless!
Why Is It Called the Flower Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.
#LunarEclipse
When to See the Full Moon in May 2021
May’s full Flower Moon reaches peak illumination at 7:14 A.M. (EDT) on Wednesday, May 26. It will be very close to or below the horizon at this time, so plan to venture outdoors the night before (Tuesday, May 25) or on Wednesday night to get the best view of the bright full Flower Moon! Find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon, if possible. See what time the Moon will be visible in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator.
Don’t Miss the “Blood Moon” Total Lunar Eclipse… Visible in Some Areas!
This month’s full Moon coincides with a total lunar eclipse! A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth stands directly between the Moon and the Sun, which results in Earth casting its shadow on the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is fully obscured by Earth’s shadow, giving the Moon a reddish hue. This phenomenon is where the term “blood moon” comes from.
This total lunar eclipse occurs in the pre-dawn hours of May 26 and will only be visible for stargazers in western North America, western South America, eastern Asia, and Oceania. In the U.S., those who are located east of the Mississippi will experience a partial lunar eclipse before the Moon sets below the horizon, and those along the East Coast won’t see much of anything, unfortunately. Because the Moon will be so low in the sky during the eclipse, you’ll need to find a high vantage point with a clear view of the horizon.
The Moon will enter the outer edge of Earth’s shadow (called the “penumbra”) at 4:46 A.M. EDT (1:46 A.M. PDT) and reach the darkest part of its shadow (the “umbra”) at 5:45 A.M. EDT (2:45 A.M. PDT). The Moon will leave the umbra at 8:53 A.M. EDT (5:53 A.M. PDT) and the penumbra at 9:51 A.M. EDT (6:51 A.M. PDT).
Super Flower Moon: The Closest Supermoon of 2021
Two supermoons occur in 2021—the first was April’s Pink Moon and the second will be May’s Flower Moon.
When the full Moon appears this month, it will be ever-so-slightly closer to Earth than it was in April, meaning that May’s Flower Moon will be the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year—technically speaking. To the naked eye, May’s full Moon won’t actually look any bigger or brighter than April’s, since the Moon’s distance from Earth differs by less than 100 miles between April and May. This is a miniscule distance in the grand scale of space, but we will still see a bright, beautiful supermoon nonetheless!
Why Is It Called the Flower Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.