Astronomy enthusiasts there is a new phenomenon occurring in the sky this month. From the start of 2018, we have witnessed full moon days, in fact every month has one. And although all of them may look same to you, there is some significance to it. The full moon in the month of May is called as the flower moon. The Flower Moon of 2018 will be seen towards the end of this month. You can see the flower moon on May 29 at 7.49 pm.
Each of the moon's phases are given particular names depending on the month and time. From the early start of the year 2018, we have seen some good astronomical phenomenon like the Supermoon, Blood moon, Pink moon etc. Let us understand everything about the oncoming phenomenon of the Flower Moon towards the end of May.
What is flower moon and why is it called so?
By now you would know that the full moon of the month of May is called as flower moon. But does the name have anything to do with the patterns visible of the moon's surface? Unfortunately no, so you are not going to see any flowery designs. But the name of flower moon comes from the ongoing seasons.
A lot of flowering plants take to bloom in the month of May. It is the springtime and all the plants put on a beautiful display with all of them blooming. The Ojibwe tribes, located near the Great Lakes, refer to May’s full moon as the Flower Moon because the plants are beginning to “display their spirit sides,” according to the Ontario Native Women’s Association. The Flower Moon is also said to be symbolic of healing because several of the flowering plants have medicinal properties.
Other names for flower moon
Each full moon received a name from Native American tribes, which were later adopted by the colonists. But these names too are not constant and differ from place to place. While most people refer to the full moon as Flower Moon, there are other terms to it as well. The full moon of May is also called as Mother's Moon, the North Americans Algonquins tribe calls it as Milk Moon or Corn Planting Moon.
Is it not interesting how one single and the monthly phenomenon of a full moon is represented differently across the globe. If you are a keen observer then be ready on the 29th of May to witness the beauty of the flower moon in the night sky.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2018 04:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).