09-05-2025
When is the May full moon? A special Flower Moon will shine bright near Mother's Day
A special full moon will rise soon over Mississippi.
The May full moon is known as the Flower Moon, among other names, because spring is when plants start blooming and animals shake off the dregs of winter. It's a time to prepare for the coming summer.
This month, the full moon is special because it's a micromoon.
Here's what that means and when you're likely to see the moon shine the brightest over the Magnolia State.
The Flower Moon will be its brightest at 11:56 P.M. CT Monday, May 12, according to Old Farmer's Almanac. It will also be bright on Mother's Day, May 11, and Tuesday, May 13.
In Jackson, the full moon will rise at 8:12 p.m. May 12 and set at 5:43 a.m. May 13.
Click here to see moonrise and moonset times in your area.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the name Flower Moon comes from Algonquin. It's a season when buds are blooming across a lot of North American.
The Cree also called it the Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon. The trive also called it the Frog Moon or Egg Laying Moon.
The Oglala called it Moon of Shedding Ponies, and the Dakota and Lakota reportedly called it the Planting Moon.
A micromoon is the opposite of a supermoon. It looks 5.9% to 6.9% smaller than an average full moon. It also appears 12.5% to 14.1% smaller than a supermoon, which happens when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth.
The moon's phases in May are:
🌓 First Quarter: May 4.
🌕 Full Moon: May 12.
🌗 Last Quarter: May 20.
🌑 New Moon: May 27.
Here's a list of the full moon names, courtesy of the Old Farmer's Almanac:
January: Wolf Moon.
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon.
April: Pink Moon.
May: Flower Moon.
June: Strawberry Moon.
July: Buck Moon.
August: Sturgeon Moon.
September: Corn Moon (was Harvest Moon in 2024).
October: Hunter Moon.
November: Beaver Moon.
December: Cold Moon.
More: Summer will start in Mississippi soon. Here's what The Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting
The Strawberry Moon will appear on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Courtesy: John Tufts and Maria Francis
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: When is next full moon? Flower Moon will shine soon in Mississippi.
