Skywatchers are in for a rare celestial event at the end of May as 2026 brings an unusual Blue Moon. The lunar spectacle will brighten the early morning sky on May 31, marking the second Full Moon of the month. Astronomy fans will also have several other major Moon events to look forward to during the rest of the year, including eclipses and Super Moons. According to the published lunar calendar, 2026 still has many remarkable nights ahead for people watching the skies.
A rare Blue Moon will appear on May 31, giving skywatchers one of the most notable lunar events of 2026. The Full Moon is expected to reach peak illumination at 4:45 a.m. EDT on Sunday, May 31. What makes the event unique is that it will be the second Full Moon to occur during the month of May, officially making it a Blue Moon.
The Moon appears fully illuminated when Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, allowing sunlight to completely light up the side of the Moon facing Earth. As the Moon continues orbiting the planet, the reflected sunlight changes angles, creating the different lunar phases seen throughout the month.
The May 31 event is unusual because Blue Moons do not occur frequently. The month’s first Full Moon, known as the Flower Moon, appeared on May 1 at 1:23 p.m. EDT. A second Full Moon will now arrive just 30 days later to close out the month, according to a report by Astronomy.
The 2026 lunar calendar also features several other major sky events, including a total lunar eclipse in March and a partial lunar eclipse in August.
Following the Blue Moon in May, several more Full Moons are scheduled throughout the remainder of the year. The Strawberry Moon will appear on June 29 at 7:57 p.m. EDT, followed by the Buck Moon on July 29 at 10:36 a.m. EDT.
A partial lunar eclipse will accompany the Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 28 at 12:19 a.m. EDT, while the Corn Moon is expected to rise on Sept. 26 at 12:49 p.m. EDT.
The Hunter’s Moon will appear on Oct. 26 at 12:12 a.m. EDT.
Two more Super Moons are also expected later in 2026. The Beaver Moon will arrive on Nov. 24 at 9:54 a.m. EDT, followed by the Cold Moon on Dec. 23 at 8:28 p.m. EDT. Earlier this year, the Wolf Moon on Jan. 3 was also classified as a Super Moon, according to Astronomy.
Besides the upcoming Blue Moon, May’s night sky has already provided several impressive viewing opportunities.
On Wednesday, May 20, the waxing Moon passed 3 degrees north of Jupiter at 9 a.m. EDT. Later that evening, the Moon entered the constellation Cancer the Crab and appeared slightly more than 7 degrees east of Jupiter.
Venus, positioned in western Gemini, also remained visible alongside the Moon and Jupiter, tracing the ecliptic across the sky.
Skywatchers looking above and slightly left of the Moon also had a chance to spot M44, commonly known as the Beehive Cluster. The open star cluster is located in central Cancer and can sometimes be seen with the naked eye, although the Moon’s brightness may reduce visibility.
At the time, the Moon was only around 25 percent illuminated, giving observers a better opportunity to view the famous cluster during the evening.
With a Blue Moon, lunar eclipses and multiple Super Moons still on the calendar, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for skywatchers.
The Blue Moon on May 31 will rise in the eastern sky.
According to reports, it will appear lower in the sky and slightly to the right of the constellation Virgo.
For skywatchers, the event is expected to become one of the year’s most noticeable lunar displays because of both its rarity and its timing at the very end of the month.
A Blue Moon refers to the second Full Moon that appears within a single calendar month.
This occurs because the lunar cycle does not perfectly align with the calendar year. A complete lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, creating a small mismatch between lunar months and calendar months over time.
Because of this difference, some years include an extra Full Moon.
The reason comes down to how time is measured.
A day is based on Earth rotating on its axis, while a year measures the time Earth takes to orbit the Sun. Months, however, are connected to the Moon’s orbit around Earth.
Twelve lunar cycles are approximately 11 days shorter than a calendar year. Due to this gap, an additional Full Moon occasionally appears during the year.
That is why May 2026 will feature two Full Moons — one at the start of the month and another on May 31.
The first Full Moon of May 2026 appeared on May 1 and is traditionally known as the Flower Moon.
The name is associated with the spring season, when flowers bloom across many regions of the world.
Since nearly 29.5 days separate Full Moons, another Full Moon will appear before the end of May, creating the rare Blue Moon event.
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