What's Up for May 2026: Skywatching Tips from NASA | Jet Propulsion Laboratory

What's Up for May 2026: Skywatching Tips from NASA | Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in May 2026:

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower brings shooting stars before dawn, the Moon meets brilliant Venus after sunset, and May wraps up with a rare Blue Moon. Look to the early morning sky around May 5-6, 2026, for meteors from Halley’s Comet, although bright moonlight may wash out some of the fainter streaks. 

Then on May 18, spot the crescent Moon near Venus low in the western sky just after sunset. May ends with a Full Moon on May 31. 

May ends with a Blue Moon, meaning the second full moon in a single calendar month, but it will not actually look blue.

0:00 Intro

0:09  Eta Aquarids 

1:25  Moon and Venus conjunction 

1:54  Blue Moon

2:35 May Moon phases

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: April 30, 2026

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