Last Supermoon of 2020 Called 'Flower Moon' Will Rise This Week

The last supermoon of the year, called “Flower Moon,” will grace the sky on Thursday morning despite predicted cloudy weather.

We are barely halfway through the year, but the last series of four “supermoons” is already about to rise. The full moon will appear on the morning of Thursday, May 7.

MAY’S FLOWER MOON

This month’s full moon is called the “Flower Moon,” which will be seen as it comes closest to Earth in its monthly orbit.

During this time, the moon will appear bigger and brighter than it usually is when it rises as a regular full moon.

Although May’s supermoon won’t be as bold as April’s supermoon, it will be just as beautiful for people to see given the clear skies.

The moon was not only big but also shined in the color pink.

However, NASA forecasted a cloudy atmosphere, but just enough to still see the moon shine through for three days starting from this time around.

SUPERMOON NAME ORIGINS

Astrologer Richard Noelle first coined the term “supermoon” in 1979 to refer to the times the moon is closest to the Earth in a particular orbit.

Earth may see three to four new supermoons and three to four full supermoons consecutively in a year. However, this year’s “Flower Moon” concludes the series.

The moniker “Flower Moon” stemmed from the Northern Hemisphere’s ode to spring, which is mentioned in the Maine Farmers Almanac.

Other terms that are used to describe the moon in spring are Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon, and Mother’s Moon.

It is also referred to as the Vesak Festival Moon as it appears on the Buddhist holiday that celebrates Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death.

APRIL’S PINK MOON

Last month, the sky shined with a supermoon called “Pink Moon,” but can also be referred to as Grass Moon or Egg Moon.

There was an approximated 221,773-mile distance between the Earth and the moon on April 7 and a little farther on April 8.

The moon was not only big but also shined in the color pink, which delighted several sky gazers and passerby who so happened to look up during that evening.