May 28-31, 2026: The seasonal Blue Moon passes Libra and Scorpius during late May, appearing near Antares while bright moonlight spreads across the evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Blue Moon
The Blue Moon passes Libra and Scorpius during the evening hours.
The month’s second Full Moon occurs on the morning of May 31. Such infrequent occurrences are commonly named Blue Moons.
The next seasonal full moon name is the Strawberry Moon. To keep the traditional seasonal names aligned with their appropriate seasons, the Blue Moon designation is used as a placeholder. Without it this year, the Harvest Moon — traditionally occurring nearest the autumnal equinox — would shift to late August.
The Full Moon occurs with Scorpius. During the four nights described here, the moon passes Libra and Scorpius before moving in front of Ophiuchus. Libra’s brightest stars, Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi, still retain their original association with Scorpius as the Scorpion’s northern and southern claws.
The bright moonlight spreads across the sky, muting the visibility of dimmer stars. Use a binocular to trace the star fields of Scorpius and Libra.
Highlights
Here is what to see two hours after sunset:
• May 28: The moon, 96% illuminated, is nearly 30° above the southern horizon. It is 6.0° to the lower right of Zubenelgenubi and over 25° to Antares’ upper right, Scorpius’ brightest star.
• May 29: The moon, 98% illuminated, is 20° above the south-southeast horizon, over 11° to Zubenelgenubi’s lower left and nearly 15° to the upper right of Antares. Through a binocular, look for Pi Scorpii.
• May 30: On the night of the Blue Moon, the moon is nearly 15° above the southeast horizon, 2.6° to Antares’ upper right and 4.4° to the lower right of Pi Scorpii. The moon is opposite the sun, passing the Full phase at 3:15 a.m. Central Time tomorrow morning, when the moon is in the southwestern sky from the mid-sections of North America.
• May 31: The bright moon is over 7° above the southeast horizon and in front of Ophiuchus, 9.5° to Antares’ lower left.
The Blue Moon — a placeholder designation that keeps the traditional seasonal names aligned — occurs near Antares in Scorpius. Use a binocular to trace the star fields of Scorpius and Libra in the bright moonlight after sunset.
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