Science

Upcoming Spectacle: Super Flower Blood Moon to Dazzle Skywatchers

A Unique Combination of Supermoon and Lunar Eclipse on May 26

This week promises a celestial treat as the Flower full moon of May coincides with the year’s biggest and brightest supermoon, along with the first lunar eclipse in nearly two years. Scheduled to peak on May 26, the event, known as the Super Flower Blood Moon, will also give the moon a reddish hue during the eclipse, visible in parts of Asia, Australasia, and the Americas.

The name “Flower Moon” originates from Native American and early North American settlers, who attributed different titles to each month’s full moon based on seasonal changes. NASA highlighted that this full moon was called the Flower Moon because it marks the time when spring flowers bloom abundantly.

Different tribes had unique interpretations for the same lunar event. For instance, the Anishnaabe Tribe referred to May’s moon as the Blossom Moon, while the Cherokee Tribe called it the Planting Moon. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists various Native American names for the full moons, including:

January: Wolf Moon
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon
April: Pink Moon
May: Flower Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Buck Moon
August: Sturgeon Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Hunter’s Moon
November: Beaver Moon
December: Cold Moon
These names reflect the significance of the lunar calendar for tracking seasonal changes among tribes. As the Almanac explains, early Native Americans did not adhere to the Julian or Gregorian calendars; instead, they marked time by observing seasons and lunar phases. Some tribes recognized the year as containing 12 moons, while others had 13, adding an extra moon every few years to align with the seasons. This extra moon is often referred to as a “Blue Moon.”

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