Picture perfectly captures last night's Flower Moon but what is it & when can I see it next

The above image, taken by freelance photographer Dave Nelson, shows a phenomenon called a Flower Moon.

Visible to the naked eye, it was most promiment in the sky last night at around 6pm.

What is the Flower Moon?

The Flower Moon is the name for the full moon that appears in the sky in May.

It’s name originates from Native American and European traditions in which each full moon of the year got its own seasonal nickname.

May was given a flowery title as it is the month when wildflowers start to bloom.

The Flower Moon itself however is a type of micromoon with this full moon appearing slighlly smaller and dimmer than other full moons.

The micromoon, of which there are usually two or three a year, occurs during apogee, i.e when the Moon is at its farthest point in its orbit of Earth.

This is therefore the opposite of a Supermoon, which occurs during perigee- when the Moon is at it’s closest point to Earth.

When can I see it next?

The Flower Moon only appears once a year, with 2025’s date being May, 12.

You may however be able to catch a glimpse of the Flower Moon tonight (May 13).

The full moon we shall see in June is then called the Strawberry Moon and this is expected on June 11.