Full Moon – Friday, 5th May

This month, the Moon will be Full at 18.34hrs on Friday, 5th May.

Frequently referred to as the Flower Moon, other names attributed to this Moon which is full of the promise of summer are:

  • Leaf Budding Moon
  • Planting Moon
  • Egg Laying Moon
  • Field Making Moon
  • Frog Moon
  • Moon Of The Shedding Ponies!

Black Moon is not a well known astronomical term. In recent years, the term has been made popular by social media, astrologers, and followers of the Wiccan religion. It occurs at the time of the New Moon. You cannot see it! The sky is completely dark. A Black Moon frequently is used when the following occur:

  • 2nd New Moon in the same month – the most common type, occurring approximately once every 29 months.
  • 3rd New Moon in a season of four New Moons  – occur about once every 33 months.
  • No New Moon in February – occurring approximately every 19 years. This can only happen in February, as this is the only month which is shorter than a lunar month. When this occurs, both January and March have two New Moons, instead of just one.,  By this definition, the next Black Moon will occur in 2033,
  • No Full Moon in February – also occurring approximately every 19 years.  In this instance, there are two Full Moons in January and March, also known as a double Blue Moon. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur in 2037, while the last one was in 2018.

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Full Moon & Eclipse – Monday, 16th May

The first lunar eclipse of 2022 occurs with Monday’s Full Moon.

The eclipse will happen in the early hours before dawn, as the Moon is low on the horizon, and the Moon will take on an increasingly red colour as totality approaches.
Totality of the eclipse is at 4:29am, Monday morning, but weather permitting, early risers will be rewarded with a bright brownish-red Moon before it descends below the horizon just after 5am.

Other names attributed to this Moon full of the promise of summer are:

  • Leaf Budding Moon
  • Planting Moon
  • Egg Laying Moon
  • Field Making Moon
  • Frog Moon
  • Moon Of The Shedding Ponies!

Next month on 14th June 2022, the Strawberry Moon will be the first Supermoon of 2022.

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Full Moon – Wednesday 26th May

The Full Moon on Wednesday is known as the Flower Moon.  It will appear larger than usual as it is the second Supermoon* of the year (the first being April’s Pink Moon). On average, Supermoons are about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical Full Moon.

More favourable skies on and around 26th May are expected. Rain and showers are likely to clear away to the east, leaving drier and less windy conditions so one should get a good view of the biggest and brightest Supermoon of 2021.

There is a total lunar eclipse occuring but you need to be in Australia, parts of the western USA, western South America, or in South-East Asia to see it! However, there is a partial solar eclipse which will be visible from the UK on Thursday 10th June beginning at 10.04am.

Other names attributed to this Moon full of the promise of summer are:

  • Leaf Budding Moon
  • Planting Moon
  • Egg Laying Moon
  • Field Making Moon
  • Frog Moon
  • Moon Of The Shedding Ponies!

*Any full Moon (or new Moon) coming closer than 224,865 miles (361,885 km), as measured from the centres of the Earth and Moon, counts as a Supermoon in 2020, according to NASA.

One cannot talk of the moon without paying respect to Michael Collins who died at the end of last month at 90 years old.
Michael Collins took part in the first manned mission to land on the Moon in 1969. He remained in the Apollo 11 craft while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon’s surface. R.I.P.
A total of twelve people have walked on the Moon. Four of them are still living as of April 2021. Buzz Aldrin, now 91 years old, is the only surviving member of the 1969 mission.

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