This month's full moon reaches peak illumination at 12:56 p.m. EDT (17:56 GMT) and is known as the 'Flower Moon' to some in North America and Europe owing to the abundant seasonal wildflower blooms that appear during this time of year.

The May 2025 full moon, also called the "flower moon," officially occurs on Monday, May 12, giving skywatchers who are now enjoying milder conditions a chance to see a micromoon. Micromoons look a bit smaller and dimmer than usual.

According to NASA, an Old English name for the May full moon is the milk moon. In 703 AD, the English monk St. Bede the Venerable wrote that May was known as the "Three-Milkings Month," likely because cows could be milked three times a day during this fertile time of year.