The full flower moon, the second full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, is set to illuminate the night sky on Monday, May 12, 2025. According to Forbes, this lunar event will be best visible rising in the east as an orange orb just after sunset. The flower moon, which takes its name from the abundance of blooming flowers during May, will turn full at 12:57 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 12, 2025.
As reported by Forbes, the full flower moon will be the fifth of 12 full moons in 2025. The solar year is 365.24 days, while our lunar year is around 354.37 days, which means that sometimes there are 13 full moons in one calendar (solar) year — as in 2023 and next in 2028. In 2024, there were 12 full moons, with three being “supermoons” and two “blood moon” total lunar eclipses.
Forbes also notes that the best time to watch the full flower moon rise is at moonrise during dusk on May 12. 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, Forbes recommends finding 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 provide a closer look at its craters and dark maria — ancient lava flows.
For those interested in photographing the full flower moon, Forbes offers some expert advice. To take a memorable photo using just a smartphone, it’s essential to know the exact time and location of the moonrise, use a tripod, turn off the flash, adjust focus and exposure, and shoot in RAW, if your phone supports it, for easier editing afterward.
The next full moon after the flower moon is the strawberry moon, which will occur on Wednesday, June 11. As Forbes reports, 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.
For those looking to find the best time to see the full flower moon rise from their location, Forbes suggests consulting a moonrise calculator. Sample times include: 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; and London, sunset at 8:40 p.m. BST, moonrise at 9:07 p.m. BST on Monday, May 12, 2025.
As Forbes notes, May’s full moon is also known as the flower, planting and milk moon. However, cultural names for the full moon vary hugely across the world. With the flower moon being the second full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it marks a significant event in the lunar calendar.
