What’s Up in the Sky in May?
May 2026 gives us not only one, but two Full Moons, making the second one a Blue Moon. The saying “once in a Blue Moon” suggests that this is something very rare, but is it really?
The Moon has really gotten its time in the spotlight over the last few weeks, and we’re still in awe after NASA’s Artemis II mission in April. Safe to say this has made an impression on everyone here at timeanddate, and we’re feeling a touch of post-mission blues. Luckily, this month also offers some exciting spectacles, including the Eta Aquarid meteor shower and several Moon-planet close approaches.
Your Moon Guide for April 2026*Naked-eye events. The Night Sky Map links use New York City, USA, as an example location.
May’s Flower Moon
This month’s Full Moon, known as the Flower Moon, is at its most illuminated on May 1 at 17:23 UTC. The name refers to all the flowers blooming in the Northern Hemisphere in spring. It follows April’s Pink Moon.
We’ve been following the Moon closely the last few weeks, specifically the Artemis II mission, where astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen went on a roughly 9-day “flyby” mission around the Moon.
They took some amazing images while they were up there, and many of them made an impression on our astrophysicist, Dr. Renate Mauland-Hus:
The Artemis II crew saw this Earthset because they traveled around the Moon, which is as fascinating as it is beautiful.
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, which is why we don’t see the far side from here. If we were to sit on the Moon’s near side and look up at Earth, it wouldn’t streak across the sky and rise and set like we’re used to the Moon doing. It would more or less hang in the same place, going through the phases, rotating, and wobbling a bit.
Dr. Renate Mauland-Hus, Astrophysicist
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May’s Second Full Moon
We’re lucky enough to witness a second Full Moon this month: A Blue Moon. Usually, there is one Full Moon every month, but sometimes there are two. This second Full Moon is called a Blue Moon because it’s an extra Moon in a calendar month, and it doesn’t have a specific name like the rest of them.
In addition to monthly Blue Moons, there are also seasonal Blue Moons. You can find the dates and times for both seasonal and monthly Blue Moons in your time zone here on mungfali.galihkartiwa07.workers.dev.
This is the first Blue Moon in almost two years. The phrase “once in a Blue Moon” also refers to something that happens very rarely, but this isn’t actually the case.
The fun thing is that a Blue Moon is not as rare as the popular phrase suggests. Whichever definition you use, a Blue Moon happens once every 2½ years or so on average.
Graham Jones, Astrophysicist
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May’s Blue Moon is a Micromoon, meaning it coincides with apogee, the point in the Moon’s orbit farthest away from Earth.
The Blue Moon is the second in a trio of “colorful” Moons that follow the Blood Moon in March. April gave us the Pink Moon, and in June, the Strawberry Moon will follow. Unlike the Blood Moon in March, however, these names don’t reflect any visible color change.
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
Moving away from the Moon, there are other fascinating events happening in the sky in May.
At the beginning of the month, more specifically May 5-6, the meteor shower Eta Aquarids reaches its peak. The shower is named after Eta Aquarii, one of the stars within the constellation Aquarius. The radiant, where Eta Aquarids seem to emerge from, is inside the constellation. The best time to go out and look for shooting stars varies a bit by time zone, but the dark mornings of May 5 and 6 can both be good options.
If you’re lucky, you can see up to 50 meteors per hour during the peak period. The meteor shower is visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Having said that, the radiant being high in a dark sky is always important for meteor spotting. This means that Eta Aquarids tend to be better the farther south you are—and they are best seen in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Moon will also reduce visibility for some of the faintest meteors, since it’s close to the radiant and quite bright, currently in its Waning Gibbous phase (almost full).
The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley. The second one is the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks around October 21.
Moon-Venus Close Approach
If you step outside after sunset on May 18 or 19, you might be able to see a Moon-Venus close approach. The best date to see the close approach depends on your time zone. In New York, it’s May 18, while in Sydney, it’s May 19.
A close approach—also known as an appulse—is when celestial bodies appear close to each other in the sky. Objects appear close from our perspective, even though they are far away from each other. The exciting thing about close approaches is that planets are very easy to notice once they appear next to the Moon in our night sky.
On May 20, a Moon-Jupiter close approach follows. Venus will still be close by, and Jupiter and Venus will get closer and closer until their closest approach at the start of June.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Full Moon in May called a Blue Moon?
Usually, there is one Full Moon every month, but sometimes there are two. This second Full Moon is called a Blue Moon because it’s an extra Moon in a calendar month, and it doesn’t have a specific name like the rest of them.
In addition to monthly Blue Moons, there are also seasonal Blue Moons. You can find the dates and times of both seasonal and monthly Blue Moons in your time zone here on mungfali.galihkartiwa07.workers.dev.
Is a Blue Moon very rare?
Not really. Whichever definition you use, a Blue Moon happens once every 2½ years or so on average.
When is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in 2026?
The Eta Aquarids are active from April 19–May 28, with a peak on the night between May 5–6.
What is earthshine and when can I see it?
Earthshine is a soft glow on the unlit part of the Moon’s disk caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth.
This month, it’s best seen in the days around the New Moon on May 16.