{"id":765690,"date":"2026-05-01T09:58:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/765690\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:58:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:58:29","slug":"red-flower-moon-looms-on-the-horizon-over-sicily-beautiful-image-captured-this-morning-hints-at-the-full-moon-spectacle-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/765690\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Flower Moon looms on the horizon over Sicily. Beautiful image captured this morning hints at the full Moon spectacle this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fans of the full Moon are preparing for this weekend’s Flower Moon to rise in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

But one photographer has been out early this morning, Friday 1 May, to capture the Flower Moon setting on the horizon.<\/p>\n

\"moonriseCredit: Charlotte Daniels<\/p>\n

Giovanni Passalacqua\u00a0sent us this image of the full Moon above the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata in Ispica, south-east Sicily, just as dawn was breaking.<\/p>\n

It shows the Flower Moon low on the horizon, giving us a preview of the full Moon that will be visible this Friday and Saturday night, 1\u20132 May 2026.<\/p>\n

\"FlowerFlower Moon by Giovanni Passalacqua, Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, Ispica, Sicily, 1 May 2026, 05:23 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 600mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: f\/6.3, ISO 400, 0.8s. Software: Photoshop
\nA huge, red Flower Moon<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Flower Moon is the name given to the full Moon that rises in May, because it’s visible at the height of spring, when flowers are fully in bloom.<\/p>\n

But it’s not the only full Moon we’ll see in May 2026<\/a>. There will be another full Moon visible on 31 May, and that’s known by some as a ‘monthly blue Moon’, as it’s the second blue Moon in a calendar month.<\/p>\n

However, that’s not the true astronomical meaning of a blue Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reason the Flower Moon looks orange or red in these images is not a camera trick: it’s a well-known phenomenon that may occur whenever the Moon is close to the horizon.<\/p>\n

\"FlowerCredit: Giovanni Passalacqua<\/p>\n

The reason a low-down Moon may appear red<\/a> is the same reason the setting or rising Sun looks red.<\/p>\n

It’s because when a celestial object is low on the horizon, its light has to pass through a thicker portion of Earth’s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

That scatters the bluer wavelengths of light, leaving wavelengths closer to the red end of the spectrum to filter through, making the full Moon appear a deep rust colour and standing in stark contrast to the bright, white full Moon we see when it’s higher in the sky.<\/p>\n

If you’re heading out to spot the Moon this weekend, read our top tips for observing the 2026 Flower Moon<\/a> and our complete Flower Moon guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Capture details<\/strong><\/p>\n