May 2026 will have a second full moon. Not only will it a special second moon, but it’s also going to appear differently from other full moons.
When is the second May full moon? What makes it different? Here’s what we know.
When is the second May full moon?
The second full moon, called a blue moon, rises on May 31 at 4:45 a.m. ET, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
What makes the blue moon so special? It will be a micromoon
You may have heard of a supermoon — we witnessed three supermoons last year. But have you heard of a micromoon?
A micromoon is the opposite of a supermoon, and the blue moon at the end of the month will appear smaller than usual.
May’s second full moon will occur just before apogee, the point at which the moon is farthest from Earth, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac. When the full moon appears, it will look smaller and dimmer than usual since it is a micromoon.
What phase of the lunar cycle is the moon in now?
As of May 27 the moon is 10 days old in the waxing gibbous phase with 87% illumination according to Space.com.
The moon’s phases in May are:
What are the two types of blue moon?
There are two ways to achieve a blue moon.
One is to have two full moons in a calendar month, like we will have in May 2026. That is a called a calendrical blue moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The other way is when their are four full moons in an astronomical season (there are typically three). That is known as a seasonal blue moon, and the third full moon in that situation is the blue moon, according to the almanac.
How often does a blue moon occur?
Blue moons are not all that uncommon, occurring every 2–3 years, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. May 2027 and December 2028 will also bring blue moons, according to RMG.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Timeline for rare May 2026 blue moon micromoon event
Reporting by Mariyam Muhammad, USA TODAY NETWORK / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
