Best time to see the ‘Flower Moon’ in the UK tonight

It will be visible tonight

On Thursday (May 23), the fifth full Moon of 2024 will take place. When this happens in May, it is known as a Flower Moon, due to the fact flowers are in bloom at this time of year.

So, although the name may suggest otherwise, the Flower Moon will not look any different to any other full Moon, BBC Sky at Night reports.

In fact, most full moons have their own nicknames, such as the Pink Moon, Strawberry Moon and Wolf Moon.

This doesn't mean it won't be an impressive sight though.

For Brits in the UK, the Flower Moon will rise in the southeast and, clear skies depending, it should be visible from 21:59 BST tonight.

The Moon will be in the constellation Scorpius, next to bright star Antares, and won't rise very high in the sky. This means you'll need a clear horizon to get the best view of the lunar body.

It will then work its way across the southern part of the sky, before setting in the southwest in the early hours around dawn.

It takes 29.5 days for the Moon to go through a whole lunar phase cycle, Royal Museums Greenwich explains. But this doesn't mean there is a full Moon every month, as our calendar is not in line with the Moon's phases.

When there is more than one full Moon in a month, the second one is known as a blue moon.

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