A rare blue micromoon will rise this weekend, giving skywatchers a full moon that will not return again until the very end of 2028. The first calendar Blue Moon since Aug. 30, 2023 is set to appear on May 31 at 4:45 a.m. Eastern Time, after the first full moon of May came and went on May 1.
The moon will be farther from Earth than usual, at 252,360 miles, making it a micromoon rather than the more familiar larger-looking supermoon. Gianluca Masi said it should appear roughly 6% smaller and 10% dimmer than an average full moon, while also noting those differences are subtle enough to likely go unnoticed by most observers.
For viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, the moon will appear alongside Antares in the constellation Scorpius. In parts of Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, eastern Australia, Antarctica and some nearby islands, Antares will disappear temporarily as the moon passes in front of it, creating the most dramatic view of the event.
That alignment matters because Antares is a red supergiant star about 550 light-years away, and the close passage offers a rare chance to watch the moon and one of the sky’s best-known stars share the same frame. The Virtual Telescope Project said it will stream live images of the blue micromoon, giving people outside the best viewing zones a way to watch the scene unfold.
A blue moon is simply the second full moon in a single month, and the term does not mean the moon will look blue. The moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, which is why this full moon will sit farther from Earth than usual, even as another recent supermoon measured 225,130 miles away.
For anyone trying to catch the next one after this weekend, the wait will be long. The next blue moon is expected on Dec. 31, 2028, ending a stretch in which this May’s appearance stands out as one of the rarer lunar events on the calendar.
Astrologer Sarah Potter framed the Blue Moon as a moment for completion and release, saying it symbolizes a highly charged time to let go of what no longer serves us and make room for novel opportunities. She also said the second Full Moon in May provides a window for manifestation, a chance to set long-term goals or release something that needs a major boost to move forward. She added that the moon’s Sagittarius energy encourages a leap of faith toward the life people truly want.
For stargazers, though, the message is simpler: look up before dawn on May 31, because the blue micromoon is here for a moment, and it will not be back for more than two years.
