A ‘flower moon’ will rise over southwestern Illinois soon. When to see it — and meteors

Meredith Howard
·2 min read

Southwestern Illinois stargazers have plenty to look forward to in May, including a festive full moon and a chance to potentially see meteors.

The “flower moon” will peak at 12:34 p.m. Friday and will appear full from early Thursday morning to early Sunday morning, according to NASA.

“As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon,” NASA’s website says. “Enjoy the flowers of spring!”

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the flower moon while it appears full and it’s dark enough to shine, Saturday night might be your best bet according to the National Weather Service St. Louis’ forecast.

Belleville and Swansea area residents have a 20% chance of seeing showers Saturday night, with a low around 56 degrees and partly cloudy skies, the NWS reports. Thunderstorms are possible Thursday night and Friday night.

Here’s what to know about the flower moon and more upcoming sights to see in the night sky.

Where does the flower moon get its name?

The name “flower moon” is attributed to the Algonquin peoples, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. As you might expect, it celebrates the flowers blooming across North America in early May.

May’s full moon also goes by these names, according to NASA:

  • Corn or corn planting moon

  • Milk moon (old English name)

  • Hare’s moon

  • Vesak or Buddha Purnima (Vesak is a Buddhist holiday.)

Full moons, meteors in 2023

Here’s the rest of this year’s full moon calendar, with information from Space.com:

  • June 3: Strawberry moon

  • July 3: Buck supermoon

  • Aug. 1: Sturgeon supermoon

  • Aug. 30: Blue supermoon (appears biggest and brightest of the year)

  • Sept. 29: Harvest supermoon

  • Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon

  • Nov. 27: Beaver moon

  • Dec. 26: Cold moon

These moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.

In addition to the flower moon, there will also be a meteor shower in May. The Eta Aquarid shower began activity April 19, will peak May 6 and will end around May 28, according to Astronomy.com.

The flower moon’s peak is expected to interfere with the meteor shower, so it’s possible only the brightest meteors will be visible. Astronomy.com recommends observing in the early mornings during the first few days of May.