By Ling Hui
KUCHING, May 5: Look up at the sky tonight, and you’ll see the full moon of the month, which they call the ‘Flower Moon’.
Some Native American tribes called the full moon in May the Flower Moon after seeing the blooming flowers across North America, signalling abundance after winter.
This is based on the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which first began publishing names for full moons in the 1930s, says NASA Solar System Exploration in an April 25, 2023 article titled ‘The Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon’.
The author, retired NASA programme executive Gordon Johnston, said the Flower Moon will be on Friday afternoon (May 5) at 1.34pm EDT, which is about 1.34am on Saturday (May 6) local Malaysian time.
The perk is that the Flower Moon coincides with a penumbral lunar eclipse, a phenomenon which occurs when the Moon passes through the penumbra, or the lighter part of the Earth’s shadow, and sunlight falling on the Moon appears to be partially cut off.
The moon will remain visible to skywatchers, unlike a lunar eclipse, but with less-than-usual brightness.
However, Gordon mentioned that those watching the moon from Africa, Asia, and Australia likely would not notice the slight dimming of the Flower Moon.
To those interested, the Flower Moon will appear full for only three days, from early Thursday morning through early Sunday morning.
So, don’t forget to look up tonight and admire the Flower Moon. — DayakDaily
