We’ve been blessed with a number of astrological phenomenons this year, including a pink supermoon and a meteor shower.
Tonight, May 7, we’ll be gifted with one final supermoon for the year. This moon is referred to as a “Flower Moon”
According to NASA, this was what some Native American tribes called the May full moon in reference to the “flowers that are abundant this time of year.”
Andrew Jacob from the Sydney Observatory describes a supermoon as “a Full Moon that occurs very close in time to when the Moon is closest in distance to Earth during its elliptical orbit about our planet. The actual definition is unclear and almost completely arbitrary.”
Thankfully, catching sight of this baby won’t require you to drag yourself out of bed in the early hours. In fact, the supermoon will begin to rise just after 5pm (AEST) today and this is when it will appear its largest, as it emerges from the horizon.
“When the moon is near the horizon it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects,” said NASA. “The effect is an optical illusion, but that fact doesn’t take away from the experience.”
Otherwise, the moon will reach its highest point between 11pm and 1am, should you not have a clear view of the horizon this afternoon.
While the Flower Moon is definitely something to celebrate, it could be messing with your sleep at the moment.
Scientists at Basel University in Switzerland studied the sleep habits of 33 participants — who were unaware of the purpose of the study — and found that around the full moon participants took longer to fall asleep, slept less and experienced less deep sleep.
“The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not see the Moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase,” said Professor Christian Cajochen, the author of the study.
Astrologers are in agreeance with this.
“The moon controls the ocean (the gravitational pull from the moon on Earth controls the tides of the ocean), and humans are made up of 50 to 70% water (depending on age and other factors),” astrologer Lisa Stardust told Bustle.
“Being that the moon controls the oceans and waters on Earth, […] the human body [may be] affected as well by the lunar phases.”
The full moon’s impact on our moods could also factor in the disruption of sleep.
“When the moon is full, it can create a sense of restlessness,” Davida Rappaport, psychic, spiritual counsellor, and tarot instructor, told Bustle. “Adrenalin may be higher than normal, and it may be difficult to fall asleep due to an excess of energy.”
This full moon energy should dissipate soon but in the meantime, enjoy the spectacle that is the Flower Moon for one last time this year.