The Flower Moon is Around the Corner

Paetyn Tatro, Satffwriter

The Flower Moon is the first full moon that occurs in May. It marks the time of year when everything is starting to bloom and is currently blooming. This year, the Flower Moon will take place on the 5th of May. It will be accompanied by a Penumbral Eclipse- the first two eclipses this year.

The name itself is an ode to the abundant amount of flowers that bloom in the northern hemisphere in May and during the spring season. In the past, it was called the “Budding” or “Planting Moon” by Native Americans and sometimes called the “Hare Moon” due to the hare’s symbolism of regeneration and fertility in many ancient cultures such as Paganism. 

 

This year specifically, the Flower Moon is followed by an eclipse. The eclipse in question is a “Penumbral Eclipse,” meaning that the moon moves through the outermost part of the Earth’s shadow, or its Penumbra. The moon’s position will be within Earth’s Penumbra and Umbra, the second outermost shadow, making the eclipse itself faint and not very deep, making it less noticeable than others. 

The faintness of the eclipse makes it so most people mistake it for a regular full moon. The reason why is because of how faint Earth’s shadow is in its penumbra, it’s hard to tell when the shadow crosses the moon. The best time to see it will be at its maximum where it is at its strongest point and the shadow is its heaviest. However, due to the timing of the eclipse, there is a good chance we won’t be able to see it as it will be at its peak at 1:34 pm. 

Despite the probability that we won’t see the eclipse, the Flower Moon itself is celebratory in its own way as it is a true sign that spring is here and nature will start to come alive again with everything being in bloom.