![]() ![]() In 2007 several police departments in the U.K. ![]() One survey revealed that 45 percent of college students believe moonstruck humans are prone to unusual behaviors, and other surveys suggest that mental health professionals may be still more likely than laypeople to hold this conviction. Belief in the “lunar lunacy effect,” or “Transylvania effect,” as it is sometimes called, persisted in Europe through the Middle Ages, when humans were widely reputed to transmogrify into werewolves or vampires during a full moon.Įven today many people think the mystical powers of the full moon induce erratic behaviors, psychiatric hospital admissions, suicides, homicides, emergency room calls, traffic accidents, fights at professional hockey games, dog bites and all manner of strange events. Indeed, the Roman goddess of the moon bore a name that remains familiar to us today: Luna, prefix of the word “lunatic.” Greek philosopher Aristotle and Roman historian Pliny the Elder suggested that the brain was the “moistest” organ in the body and thereby most susceptible to the pernicious influences of the moon, which triggers the tides. ![]() In between those full moons, there will be two more opportunities for different meteor showers - one in July and another in August.Īs long as clear skies prevail during the warm summer months, there will be plenty of chances to see some amazing astronomical events.įollow Meteorologist Jason Meyers on Twitter or watch one of his entertaining and educational YouTube videos.ACROSS THE CENTURIES, many a person has uttered the phrase “There must be a full moon out there” in an attempt to explain weird happenings at night. This month doesn’t hold too many astronomical events for avid skywatchers, but the months ahead, particularly the summer months, are looking much more active.īeginning in July and lasting through September, a series of four supermoons, including a rare blue supermoon, will travel across our night skies. A particularly good night will likely be on May 19 during the new moon when the moon isn’t visible in the night sky.Īdobe A Summer Of Supermoons Is Still Ahead The bright full moon will prevent watchers from seeing all but the brightest meteors streaking across the sky.įortunately, the Eta Aquarids continue through May 28, so more patient watchers can wait until later in the month to see at least a few meteors. ![]() This year’s peak is from the night of May 5 to the morning of May 6, the exact night when the moon will be the fullest and the night sky won’t be as dark. The meteor shower is most impressive in the Southern Hemisphere, but the Northern Hemisphere can get up to about 30 meteors an hour during the peak in a good year on a dark night. The dust particles left behind by the famous Halley’s comet enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up as they head toward the surface to give us the meteor shower we see every year. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower happens every year when the Earth passes through the orbit of Halley’s comet. No matter what you call it, the May full moon marks a time of year when the weather is warming and the days continue to get longer.Īdobe How To See The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Other May full moon names referred to animal habits in the spring, like the Egg Laying Moon or Frog Moon. More northern cultures referred to May’s full moon as the Planting Moon because it marked a time when the risk of frost and freezing had ended, and seeds could be planted. It’s been called the Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon for when the leaves on plants begin to sprout. Other names for May’s full moon also relate to mid-spring. May’s Flower Moon got its name because this is when flowers begin to sprout from the ground and bloom. The passage of time was marked with each full moon, so the different moon names typically relate to the time of year. The full moon names we use today come from Native American, Colonial American and European origins. This timing shouldn’t discourage anyone, though, because there’s still a chance to get a good look at the full Flower Moon and a few meteors.Īdobe Full Moon May 2023: Why It’s Called The Flower Moon The full moon’s brightness will wash out any faint meteors streaking across the sky and make it difficult to spot even the brightest meteors. Unfortunately for any meteor shower watchers, those are the same nights the Eta Aquarids meteor shower is expected to peak. EDT, which means the moon will appear full and bright on the nights of May 4 and May 5. May’s full moon, also known as the Flower Moon, officially occurs on May 5 at 1:34 p.m. The May full moon arrives early in the month, and it coincides with the peak of an annual meteor shower. ![]()
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