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Over the last few days, night sky observers may have noticed that the moon has been shining extraordinarily brightly.
And tonight, stargazers will be able to spot a full Flower Moon blooming as it reaches its peak.
May’s full moon, also known as the ‘Budding Moon’ and the ‘Seed Moon’, will be its biggest and brightest at 5:56pm (BST) this evening, astronomers say.
Even though the sun won’t have set at this point, the moon will still appear full over the entire night.
Those in the UK wanting to catch the best glimpse should look south towards the constellation Libra, experts say.
The Flower Moon will be quite low in the sky, and so having an unobstructed view will help.
Those with binoculars or even a telescope may be able to make out lunar craters and other smaller features on the moon’s surface.
However, despite its name, there won’t be anything floral about how it looks.
A sequence of images showing last year's Flower Moon rising over Bosham Harbour in West Sussex
Tonight, stargazers will be able to spot a full Flower Moon blooming as it reaches its peak. Pictured: Last year's Flower Moon rising behind the Status of Liberty in New York
The Flower Moon was so-called by Native Americans due to May being the time when flowers started to bloom in the warmer weather.
Each full moon of the year has its own informal nickname, including January’s Wolf Moon, March’s Worm Moon and October’s Hunter’s Moon.
‘Over time, different cultures have given names to full moons across the lunar calendar,’ The Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) website reads.
‘Many of the Moon’s nicknames have come to us from Native American culture because for their way of life, the cycles of the lunar phases were just as important a method of timekeeping as the longer solar cycle of the year - from which the modern Gregorian calendar is derived.
‘The number of Moon names differs slightly from tribe to tribe, but many assign either 12 or 13 full moons to the year. These names were then adopted by the Colonial Americans and have entered popular culture.’
Tonight’s full moon is also a ‘micromoon’ because it is at its furthest point from Earth, making it appear slightly smaller than usual.
According to the RMG, people can capture good images of the moon with just a single lens reflex (SLR) camera and a 250mm telephoto lens.
To get the best detail, you need a telephoto lens of at least 500 to 600mm and ideally a long focal length telescope.
This photograph of a flower moon came runner up in the Royal Society Publishing photography astronomy competition in 2023
A plane crosses the full moon - also known as the Flower Moon - in Aguimes, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, last year
Experts also recommend the use of a polarising filter that blocks out some of the moon’s glaring light, which can be uncomfortable when the moon is at its brightest, if looking at the moon through a visual aid.
The next full moon – June’s Strawberry Moon – will be at its peak on June 11.
Its name also has roots in North America, where the harvesting of strawberries takes part in June.
Europeans have dubbed it the rose moon, while others cultures have named it the hot moon for the beginning of the summer heat.
SCIENTISTS DON'T AGREE ON HOW THE MOON FORMED BUT MANY BELIEVE IT WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPACT BETWEEN EARTH AND ANOTHER PLANET
Many researchers believe the moon formed after Earth was hit by a planet the size of Mars billions of years ago.
This is called the giant impact hypothesis.
The theory suggests the moon is made up of debris left over following a collision between our planet and a body around 4.5 billion years ago.
The colliding body is sometimes called Theia, after the mythical Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, the goddess of the moon.
Many researchers believe the moon formed after Earth was hit by a planet the size of Mars billions of years ago. This is called the giant impact hypothesis
But one mystery has persisted, revealed by rocks the Apollo astronauts brought back from the moon: Why are the moon and Earth so similar in their composition?
Several different theories have emerged over the years to explain the similar fingerprints of Earth and the moon.
Perhaps the impact created a huge cloud of debris that mixed thoroughly with the Earth and then later condensed to form the moon.
Or Theia could have, coincidentally, been chemically similar to young Earth.
A third possibility is that the moon formed from Earthen materials, rather than from Theia, although this would have been a very unusual type of impact.
