Full Moon May 2024: The Full Flower Moon
Mark your calendars for the May 2024 Full Moon. The May full moon in 2024 will be on Thursday May 23, 2024 9:53 AM EDT or 1:53 PM UTC based on the data provided by NASA. It will be the fifth of the twelve full moons in 2024.
A full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon so that the moon looks completely illuminated when you look at it. It happens about once a month or, 29.53 days on average.
Ready to dive a little deeper into the May 2024 Full Moon? Learn more about the moon’s nicknames and other facts.
The dates and times provided by NASA in the United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year in the United States. Also below is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since you may be in a different time zone, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.
What is the name of the May 2024 Full Moon?
The Full Moon in May 2024 is commonly referred to as the Full Flower Moon. This name probably isn’t a surprise when you think of the saying: “April Showers bring May Flowers”. Welcome to spring and the flowers that come with the season.
While the April full moon name doesn’t reference rain, the May full moon matches the time-honored saying.
Other nicknames for the May Full Moon include the Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon.
Which season includes the May Full Moon?
In 2024, the May Full Moon will be the third and last full moon of the Spring 2024 season. It will be the third full moon after the Vernal Equinox in 2024.
The Vernal or Spring equinox marks the beginning of astronomical spring and the end of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
In 2024, the Vernal Equinox will be Tuesday March 19, 2024 11:07 PM EDT or March 20, 2024 3:07 AM UTC.
Depending on the year the May Full Moon is either the second or third Spring Full Moon. Also in some years, the May full moon is a seasonal blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons. In 2024 May 23rd full moon will be the third and last Spring full moon.
When is the new moon for the 2024 Full Flower Moon?
The lunar cycle for the May Full Moon will begin with its new moon in May 2024. The New Flower Moon will be on Tuesday May 7, 2024 11:22 PM EDT or May 8, 2024 3:22 AM UTC and will be in the new moon in Taurus.
Depending on the year the New Flower Moon is either in April or May. For 2024 May along with the other months will have their new and full moons for a lunar cycle in the same month.
Future May Full Moons
Wondering about May in the future and when the full moons will occur? Here’s a list for the next few years.
| Year | Day of the week | Future May Full Moons |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Friday | May 5, 2023 1:34 PM EDT |
| 2024 | Thursday | May 23, 2024 9:53 AM EDT |
| 2025 | Monday | May 12, 2025 12:56 PM EDT |
| 2026 | Friday | May 1, 2026 1:23 PM EDT |
| 2026 | Sunday | May 31, 2026 4:45 AM EDT (Blue Moon) |
| 2027 | Thursday | May 20, 2027 6:59 AM EDT |
| 2028 | Monday | May 8, 2028 3:49 PM EDT |
| 2029 | Sunday | May 27, 2029 2:37 PM EDT |
Past May Full Moons
And what about the past? Here is when the full moon occurred in the past for May.
| Year | Day of the week | Past May Full Moons |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Monday | May 16, 2022 12:14 AM EDT |
| 2021 | Wednesday | May 26, 2021 7:14 AM EDT |
| 2020 | Thursday | May 7, 2020 6:45 AM EDT |
| 2019 | Saturday | May 18, 2019 5:11 PM EDT |
| 2018 | Tuesday | May 29, 2018 10:20 AM EDT |
| 2017 | Wednesday | May 10, 2017 5:43 PM EDT |
Frequently Asked Questions
Have additional questions about the May Full Moons? Here are a few of the frequently asked questions to help you.
When was the May 2022 full moon?
The May 2022 Full Moon was on Monday May 16, 2022 12:14 AM EDT or 4:14 AM UTC. This will be the second full moon of the Spring 2022 season as the March 2022 full moon occurred before the Spring Equinox.
When was the May 2021 full moon?
The May 2021 Full Moon was on Wednesday May 26, 2021 7:14 AM EDT or 11:14 AM UTC. This will be the third and last full moon of the Spring 2021 season as the March 2021 full moon occurred after the Spring Equinox.
When was the May 2020 full moon?
The May 2020 Full Moon was on Thursday May 7, 2020 6:45 AM EDT or 10:45 AM UTC. It was the second full moon of the Spring 2020 season because the March 2020 full moon occurred before the Vernal Equinox in 2020.
And if you’re looking for when the full moon occurs for the rest of the year, check out these future full moon calendars.
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