The full flower moon — the second full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere — will light up the night sky on Monday, May 12, 2025. It will be best seen rising in the east as an orange orb just after sunset that night, but exactly when to see it varies depending on location. It takes its name from the abundance of blooming flowers during May.
The full flower moon will light up the night sky on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Photo by Lorenzo Di
NurPhoto via Getty Images
The flower moon will turn full at 12:57 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 12, 2025. It will look full the night before and the night after it’s officially 100%-lit by the sun, but the best time to watch it rise is at moonrise during dusk on May 12.
According to EarthSky, May’s full moon is known as the flower, planting and milk moon. However, cultural names for the full moon vary hugely across the world.
A full moon always looks at its best not when it’s high in the sky at night, but when it first appears above the eastern horizon during dusk. The sight is at its best when the moon rises shortly after sunset — and the timing is perfect this month for North America, with the moon rising about 30 minutes after sunset.
To see the full flower moon at its best, find an elevated location, an open field or an east-facing coastline with a clear view of the eastern horizon. The naked eye is fine, but binoculars or a small telescope can look more closely at its craters and dark maria — ancient lava flows.
Best Time To See The Full ‘flower Moon’ Rise
To find the best time to see it appear from where you are, consult a moonrise calculator. Here are some sample times :
- New York: sunset at 8:03 p.m. EDT, moonrise at 8:31 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 12, 2025.
- Los Angeles: sunset at 7:45 p.m. PDT, moonrise at 8:15 p.m. PDT on Monday, May 12, 2025.
- London: sunset at 8:40 p.m. BST, moonrise at 9:07 p.m. BST on Monday, May 12, 2025.
How To Photograph The ‘flower Moon’ With A Smartphone
Taking a good photo of the full moon using just a smartphone is not easy, mainly because of the moon’s small size in the sky and phones’ lack of optical zoom. However, taking a memorable photo you’ll cherish using the right techniques is possible. Expert advice includes knowing the exact time and location of the moonrise, using a tripod, turning off the flash, adjusting focus and exposure and shooting in RAW, if your phone supports it, for easier editing afterward.
Background
The flower moon is the fifth of 12 full moons in 2025. The solar year is 365.24 days, while our lunar year is around 354.37 days, so sometimes there are 13 full moons in one calendar (solar) year — as in 2023 and next in 2028. Of the 12 full moons in 2024, three will be “supermoons” and two “blood moon” total lunar eclipses (the first happened on March 13-14, and the next lunar eclipse is on Sept. 7-8).
The next full moon is the strawberry moon, which will occur on Wednesday, June 11. It will be the last full moon of the Northern Hemisphere’s astronomical season of spring (and fall in the Southern Hemisphere), which ends on the date of the June solstice — Saturday, June 21, 2025.
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