The last “supermoon” of 2020 rose in the night sky on Thursday over a world beginning to re-emerge after weeks of CCP virus-related lockdowns.
The supermoon phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 10% of its closest distance to the Earth at the full moon.
May’s full moon—at the height of the Northern Hemisphere spring—is also called a “flower moon”—hence Thursday’s “full-flower supermoon.”
The year’s two previous supermoons occurred in March and April.
Clouds over much of Europe and Asia obscured views of the moon, which appears slightly larger than usual—and the streets remained relatively quiet, with many countries still imposing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus-related restrictions.
But from Hong Kong to Jerusalem to Caracas, some locals donned masks and ventured out to take photos of the celestial spectacle.
The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, is seen next to Tower Bridge, London, Britain, on May 7, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Reuters)A ranger’s tower is silhouetted over a Supermoon near Ruhama in south Israel on May 7, 2020. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, rises above the Camlica Mosque during the spread of the CCP virus (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 7, 2020. (Umit Bektas/Reuters)The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, rises between clouds above Ronda, southern Spain, on May 7, 2020. (Jon Nazca/Reuters)The Supermoon rises over the city of Caracas in an astronomical event that occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, making it appear much larger and brighter than usual, in Caracas, Venezuela on May 7, 2020. (Manaure Quintero/Reuters)The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, is seen above Tower Bridge, London, Britain, on May 7, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Reuters)The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, rises during the spread of the CCP virus (COVID-19) above Vienna, Austria, on May 7, 2020. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters)The full moon, also known as the Supermoon or Flower Moon, rises behind the silhouetted crescent monument of a mosque during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, as the outbreak of the CCP virus (COVID-19) continues, in Karachi, Pakistan, on May 7, 2020. (Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)
The flower moon, like many of the monthly moon names, can be attributed to how Native Americans tracked the seasons, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Given the wealth of flowers that bloom in May, this month’s full moon name is no surprise. Specifically, Algonquin tribes referred to this as the flower moon in North America.
Normally, there are 12 full moons in a year because one occurs each month. But in 2020, October will have two full moons, one on Oct. 1 and then again on Oct. 31.
Two full moons in the same month is known as a “blue moon.” And the fact that the second one falls on Halloween truly makes this event “once in a blue moon.”
By Rosalba O’Brien
NTD staff and CNN Wire contributed to this report.
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