Home
Weather New York
WeatherRadar
RainRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    May astronomy outlook: The only Blue Moon of the year rises

07:15 PM
May 2, 2026

May astronomy outlook
The only Blue Moon of the year rises

Silhouette of a person sitting beside a telescope on a tripod under a clear night sky filled with dense stars and the bright band of the Milky Way.

May delivers the remnants of Halley's Comet in the form of a meteor shower, and also the only Blue Moon of the year.

EventDate
Full Flower MoonMay 1st
Eta Aquarids Meteor ShowerMay 6th-7th
New MoonMay 16th
Full Moon (Blue Moon)May 31st

First up in May is the rise of a full moon on May 1st. Native Americans gave this moon the moniker of the Flower Moon, for its spring timing as flowers came to bloom.

Soon after, the Eta Aquarids shower reaches its peak. In the Southern Hemisphere, this can bring up to 60 meteors an hour, but just 30 for us in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also notable for being the remnants of Halley's Comet.

One of the oldest recorded comets to visit Earth, the shower has been active since April 19th and runs until May 28th, peaking overnight of May 6th.

A New Moon on the 16th offers the clearest view of the stars, free from the moonlight, if our weather around that time is also pleasant.

May ends with a second full moon, the only Blue Moon of 2026, which rises as we move into June. Keep an eye on the WeatherRadar throughout to find the best times for a night under the stars.

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
El Niño is gaining momentum. Temperature records?. . . Thursday, May 7, 2026
The image shows the central Pacific in a computer model. A striking feature is the ocean coloured red, which indicates very warm seawater.
Thursday, May 7, 2026

Temperature records?

El Niño is gaining momentum
Rip currents & safety tips. As more head to the coast. . . Sunday, July 5, 2026
rip current
Sunday, July 5, 2026

As more head to the coast

Rip currents & safety tips
Europe: Warmest June on record. Warm waters too. . . Friday, July 10, 2026
The record-breaking heatwave in June has made climate history in Western Europe.
Friday, July 10, 2026

Warm waters too

Europe: Warmest June on record
All weather news
This might also interest you
Slow-moving storms and heavy rain. What to look for. . . Monday, July 6, 2026
Monday, July 6, 2026

What to look for

Slow-moving storms and heavy rain
Fireworks and Air Quality. Smoke and pollution. . . Saturday, July 4, 2026
Saturday, July 4, 2026

Smoke and pollution

Fireworks and Air Quality
Ring of fire developing. Storms encircle heat. . . Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Storms encircle heat

Ring of fire developing
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

instagramfacebookthreadslinkList