The Full ‘Flower Moon’ Is Coming — When To See It Rise On May Day

BreakingInnovationScienceThe Full ‘Flower Moon’ Is Coming — When To See It Rise On May DayByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorApr 26, 2026, 04:00am EDTToplineThe full flower moon — named for spring blossoms across North America — will turn full on Friday, May 1, 2026. This year’s flower moon will be best seen rising at dusk on May Day, glowing low on the eastern horizon shortly after sunset. It will be the first of two full moons in May, with the second on May 30 dubbed a blue moon.A plane retracts its landing gear in front of the full moon, also known as the Flower Moon, over north London. Picture date: Monday May 12, 2025. (Photo by James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)PA Images via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe flower moon will turn full at 1:24 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 1, 2026. It will appear full the night before and the night after, but the best time to watch it rise in North America will be at moonrise during dusk on Friday, May 1, when it appears on the eastern horizon shortly after sunset.According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, May’s full moon is commonly known as the Flower Moon, reflecting spring blooms. Other names include the Budding Moon, Leaf Budding Moon, Planting Moon, Egg Laying Moon and Frog Moon. The Flower Moon is not a supermoon in 2026. The moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical, meaning each month it reaches a closest point (perigee) and a farthest point (apogee). A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides closely with perigee, making it appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky. Since it occurs close to apogee, the Flower Moon is the opposite — a micromoon. A full moon always looks most impressive when it first appears above the eastern horizon during dusk. It’s at its most impactful when moonrise occurs shortly after sunset, which it does this month across North America and Euro...