A ‘flower moon’ will peak over Kentucky soon. When to see it, plus a glimpse of meteors
Central Kentucky stargazers have plenty to look forward to in May, including a festive full moon and a chance to potentially see meteors.
The “flower moon” will peak at 1:34 p.m. Friday and will appear full from early Thursday morning to early Sunday morning, according to NASA.
“As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon,” NASA’s website says. “Enjoy the flowers of spring!”
If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the flower moon while it appears full and it’s dark enough to shine, Saturday night might be your best bet, according to the National Weather Service Louisville office’s forecast.
Saturday night should be “mostly clear” in Lexington, the NWS reports, with a 20% chance of rain and a low around 50 degrees. Thursday night and Friday night’s forecasts are cloudier.
Here’s what to know about the flower moon and more upcoming sights to see in the night sky.
Why is it called the flower moon?
The name “flower moon” is attributed to the Algonquin peoples, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. As you might expect, it celebrates the flowers springing across North America in early May.
May’s full moon also goes by these names, according to NASA:
Corn or corn planting moon
Milk moon (old English name)
Hare’s moon
Vesak or Buddha Purnima (Vesak is a Buddhist holiday.)
More full moons in 2023
Here’s the rest of this year’s full moon calendar, with information from Space.com:
June 3: Strawberry moon
July 3: Buck supermoon
Aug. 1: Sturgeon supermoon
Aug. 30: Blue supermoon (appears biggest and brightest of the year)
Sept. 29: Harvest supermoon
Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon
Nov. 27: Beaver moon
Dec. 26: Cold moon
These moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.
In addition to the flower moon, there will also be a meteor shower in May. The Eta Aquarid shower began activity April 19, will peak May 6 and will end around May 28, according to Astronomy.com.
The flower moon’s peak is expected to interfere with the meteor shower, so it’s possible only the brightest meteors will be visible. Astronomy.com recommends observing in the early mornings during the first few days of May.
The Bluegrass Amateur Astronomy Club will host a stargazing event around sunset May 20 at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary and another at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill May 13.
Do you have a question about the night sky in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
