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The “super flower moon” will be the last supermoon of 2020 and the best views will be available tonight and predawn hours of tomorrow even though it reaches its peak on May 7 – don’t miss this big, bright spectacle!
You don’t want to miss the chance to view this larger-than-average moon as the next supermoon won’t come around again until late April 2021.
In 2020, not only have we had three supermoons, but we’ve had the last two consecutively. The third and final supermoon of the year reaches its peak on May 7.
However, in the US, the best night for viewing the full moon will be tonight, Wednesday, May 6. But Thursday, May 7 will have a great viewing as well when the full moon reaches its peak.
You may not want to take any sleep aids because if you want to see the most spectacular view, that of an extra-large, orange-colored moon, you’ll want to rise early to see the supermoon in the predawn hours on Thursday.
The peak time is 6:45 AM EDT. For evening viewing on May 7, in the US, the moon will rise at 7:52 PM PDT.
There have been two previous supermoons this year. In February we had the “Super Snow Moon,” which the Native Americans associated with winter weather.
In April we had the “Super Pink Moon,” which the Native Americans connected with the springtime blooms of a pink wildflower known as creeping phlox or moss phlox.
April’s supermoon was also the largest of the year, but even as the third-largest of the year, May’s full moon will still be bigger than average and impressive.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the “Super Flower Moon” was called the “Full Flower Moon” by the Native Americans, specifically by the Algonquins.
This was because the month of May was full of flowers, blooming in abundance, everywhere. In previous centuries, communities also had different names for the full moon in May with titles such as: Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon.
The Farmer’s Almanac says: “The May full moon marked a time of increasing fertility, with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom.”
