Syzygy and the Hare Moon

Moonrise in Albuquerque: Fri 5/4 at 6:39pm; Sat 5/5 at 7:51pm; Sun 5/6 at 9:03pm. Look for the full moon to set soon after sunrise 5/6.

The Sky This Week, 2012 May 1 – 8 — Naval Oceanography Portal

Full Moon occurs on the 5th at 11:35 pm Eastern Daylight Time. May’s Full Moon has a number of popular names, among which are the Milk Moon, Flower Moon, Corn Planting Moon, and Hare Moon. This particular Full Moon occurs one minute after lunar perigee, and since perigee coincides with a Sun/Earth/Moon syzygy it is the closest perigee for the year. Luna will be 356,955 kilometers (221,801 miles) from Earth’s center at the time. Popular media have recently dubbed such a phenomenon as a "supermoon", since Luna is about 14% larger in apparent diameter and therefore brighter than a "regular" Full Moon.

The Sky This Week, 2012 May 1 – 8 — Naval Oceanography Portal