Full Moon Bonfire
Friday, May 5, 2023
On the beach between Boardwalks 1 and 2
Sunset – 8:03 pm
Moonrise – 8:19 pm
High Tide – 8:59 pm
Full Flower Moon
Spring is a great time for a bonfire on the beach. The forecast is for a partly cloudy night with temperatures in the ’60s. The fire will primarily be for ambiance, perfect for a great time on the beach with family and friends. No special Cinco de Mayo celebration is planned but feel free to bring your favorite food or beverage to celebrate the day.
To keep things simple, each person brings what they want: food, drinks, chairs and a stick of firewood for a big bonfire. Nothing will be provided but a beautiful beach, a bonfire and, hopefully, a full moon.
People ask if the bonfire will be held if it’s rainy…. the bonfire will be cancelled if it is raining or rain is threatening as few would be comfortable attending.
By terms of the permit, the fire needs to be out no later than 10:00 pm. The later sunset and moonrise times eases the challenge for scheduling dinner but still gives us plenty of time to enjoy the evening.
Other night sky observation opportunities:
- The Eta Aquarids will peak on the night between May 5–6! Almanac.com indicates it can best be seen at predawn originating in the southeastern sky.
- The next SpaceX launch is scheduled for Thursday May 4 at 3:29 am so nothing to see unless it is delayed.
- There are no visible International Space Station Flyovers scheduled this week.
- No special planet viewing could be found.
- There is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on May 5 at 5:22 pm UTC (Greenwich). Unfortunately, the eclipse will only be seen in Asia and Australia.
Put these dates for the Full Moon Bonfires on your calendar:
- Saturday, June 3
- Sunday, July 2 (to avoid conflict with fireworks)
- Tuesday, August 1 (the first of two full moons in August)
There’s always plenty of room on the beach for everyone so invite a friend or bring your houseguests.
How the July Full Moon got its name:
Per Old Farmers Almanac, May: Full Flower Moon – Flowers spring forth in abundance this month.
Other names:
• Budding Moon (Cree)
• Egg Laying Moon (Cree)
• Frog Moon (Cree)
• Leaf Budding Moon (Cree)
• Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota)
• Moon of Shedding Ponies (Oglala)
I found another website that says the Cherokee Indians called it the Planting Moon and the English Medieval name was the Hare Moon.
Another website says the Chinese call it Dragon Moon.
-Submitted by Judy Morr
(Image credit: Pixabay.com)