Will the May full moon be visible in Oregon and why is it called the flower moon?
Oregonians will be able to step outside to catch the monthly full moon, which will remain visible for nights of May 12 and 13.
May's full moon, more commonly known as the flower moon, should be a welcome sight for stargazers who were most recently treated to back-to-back meteor showers.
Here's everything to know about the full moon, including when to see it and how it got its nickname.
A full moon occurs when Earth's celestial neighbor appears as a complete circle in the sky. From Earth, our natural satellite appears to be fully round because the whole side of the moon facing our planet is lit up by the sun's rays, according to Royal Museums Greenwich in East London.
A full moon occurs nearly every 30 days as it completes one lunar phase cycle.
The May full moon also a micromoon, meaning it will look a bit smaller and dimmer than usual. Micromoons occur when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit when it's farthest from Earth, known as apogee.
Full moon names were an integral ancient method to track the changing months and seasons, and many that are still used today came from Colonial Americans adopting Native American names into their calendars.
The Algonquin tribes of what is now the northeastern United States called May's full moon "the flower moon due to the abundant flowers that bloom this time of year," according to the Almanac.
Other nicknames for the full moon include the "corn moon" or "corn planting moon."
The moon also has been referred to as the "milk moon." The moniker derives from the English and was apparently coined by a monk who claimed May is a month when cows could be milked three times a day, according to NASA.
The full flower moon technically reaches its peak illumination at 9:55 a.m. PT on May 12.
But it will appear bright and full for two consecutive nights, May 12, and May 13, according to the website TimeAndDate.
On May 12, Oregon is predicted to have a 27-92% chance of cloud cover beginning at 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The celestial wonder should be visible from across the U.S., provided clouds don't obscure the view. Spectators are advised to find a spot with unobstructed views of the horizon.
Look for the moon rising low in the southeast after sunset on May 12 as it ascends to its highest point in the sky after midnight, according to EarthSky.
Moonrise in Oregon on May 12 is at 9:11 p.m., according to Time and Date.
The next full moon will be the strawberry moon, which appears on June 11.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What to know about the May 2025 flower moon in Oregon
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