Flower full moon 2020: How to watch the final supermoon of the year next month

The final supermoon of 2020 will take place next month, offering sky gazers one last chance to see the full moon at its biggest and brightest.

The rare celestial event – officially referred to as a perigean moon – will see the moon pass by Earth at the closest point of its monthly orbit.

On 7 May, the full moon will pass within 360,000km (224,000 miles) of Earth, making it the fourth moon in a row to be classed as a supermoon.

The time of year means May’s full moon is also traditionally known as a Flower Moon, as it coincides with spring blossoms in the northern hemisphere.

April’s supermoon is known in folklore as the Pink Moon, and lit up the skies over the UK unusually brightly thanks to good weather and lower-than-average air pollution.

Even without a telescope or binoculars, it was possible to view craters, basins and other features due to its proximity to Earth.

The moon appeared at its largest at moonrise and moonset as a result of an optical illusion that makes it seem relatively bigger when viewed beside buildings and other objects on the horizon.

May’s supermoon will also have an effect on the Earth’s ocean, with the extra gravitational pull causing extra-high tides in the days following its closest pass.

This can occasionally result in coastal flooding, though only when it coincides with severe weather events.

According to long range forecasts by the Met Office, the weather for early May is not expected to be particularly unsettled.

“Although confidence is low during this time period, the most probable scenario is that dry weather should dominate, with some interludes of more changeable weather at times,” the weather agency stated.

“Towards the end of the period, there appears to be some signals that it may be more unsettled towards the north of the UK, with drier weather to the south.”