May's full 'Flower Moon' will light up the sky on Friday 1 May

May's full 'Flower Moon' will light up the sky on Friday 1 MayImage source, PA MediaByDarren BettLead Weather PresenterPublished28 April 2026Updated 5 minutes agoMay's full Moon is set to illuminate the night sky on Friday 1 May.Known as the Flower Moon, it will be at its fullest at 18:23.The term Flower Moon is thought to be a reference to the fact that May is when flowers begin to bloom in earnest with spring well and truly in full swing.This full Moon is known as a 'micromoon' appearing slightly smaller than usual. If you miss the opportunity to spot the Flower Moon, there will be a rare second full Moon opportunity at the tail end of the month, known as a Blue Moon.Image source, BBCWeatherWatchers/macandcheeseImage caption, The Flower Moon in 2025 was on 12 May as captured by a Weather Watcher in Sheerness, KentWhat is a micromoon?The Moon's monthly orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical rather than circular, which means its distance from us varies and so not all full Moons are the same. When this year's Flower Moon becomes full it will be close to its maximum distance from Earth - a point known as apogee. That means this year's Flower Moon will appear slightly smaller than usual because it is at the farthest point from Earth in its orbit - roughly 406,000km (252,000 miles) away.The difference between apogee and perigee is approximately 43,000km (26,000 miles) - sounds huge, but to the naked eye the change is barely noticeable except in photographs.The overall effect is that a micromoon appears slightly smaller in the sky and may be a touch less bright than average.What you need to know about hayfever seasonPublished8 AprilWhy do full Moons have names?Published13 March 2025Will the weather spoil our view?Image source, BBC WeatherImage caption, Areas of cloud and showers will be affecting some parts of the UK on Friday eveningThe Flower Moon is occurring just as our weather is about to change.An area of high pressur...