May 2026 Blue Moon: Dates, times, and the one thing you get wrong about it

May 2026 features a Blue Moon towards the end of the month. It will be a micromoon, which occurs when a full moon reaches apogee, its greatest distance from Earth. The May 1 Flower Moon was the first micromoon of 2026, and the upcoming occurrence will be the most distant micromoon of 2026. A Blue Moon doesn't mean it appears blue. In fact, the term has an interesting origin and dual meaning. In ancient times, it was known as "the moon is not blue". A Blue Moon was a rare occurrence that happened only every few years. This is also what led to it being turned into a phrase to signify something rare and impossible.

6 interesting facts about the May 2026 Blue Moon

Double Full Moon: May 2026 features a "double" lunar display. The month begins with the full Flower Moon on May 1 and concludes with a Blue Moon overnight on May 30-31.

Calendar-month Blue Moon: The May full moon is a "calendar-month" Blue Moon because it is the second full moon to occur within a single calendar month. This type of Blue Moon typically happens every two to three years.

Second micromoon: It will be a "micromoon". As the name signifies, it will be a much smaller moon than its regular appearance. When the moon reaches the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, we get a micromoon.

Farthest micromoon: It will be the most distant full micromoon of 2026, appearing about 12-14 per cent smaller than a supermoon and about 7 per cent smaller than an average full moon.

Blue Moon not blue: It won't actually be blue. Despite the name, the moon will be "Blue" only in name, and it doesn't actually change its colour.

Celestial companion: The May Blue Moon will have a bright celestial companion. During the full moon's crest, it will be positioned near Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, the Scorpion.

Blue Moon is not blue in colour

Double meaning of Blue Moon - Monthly and Seasonal Blue Moons

In modern times, a Blue Moon is the second full moon in the same month. However, this happened because of a mistake. A 1946 article in Sky and Telescope had the author inadvertently simplifying an older definition from the Maine Farmer’s Almanac. In an article called “Once in a Blue Moon, James Hugh Pruett wrote, “Seven times in 19 years there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.”

Moon phases - 235 Lunar Months approximately equal 19 Calendar Years

However, originally the name Blue Moon was used for the third full moon in a season if it was followed by a fourth full moon. This was the period between a solstice and an equinox, or vice versa. Typically, each season only has three full moons in its three months. But, because of the 19-year cycle, a mathematical rhythm between the Earth and the Moon, we sometimes get four moons in one season. The third moon in such a season is known as the Blue Moon. The next seasonal Blue Moon will occur on May 20, 2027.

Blue Moon time in India

The May 2026 Monthly Blue Moon reaches its peak illumination on May 31, 2026, at 08:45 UTC. In India, this corresponds to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 2:15 pm IST (Indian Standard Time).Being daytime, the Moon will be below the horizon during its exact crest. But it will appear full and bright on both nights - May 30 and 31.