Astronomy enthusiasts and lovers of the night sky have reason to\ncelebrate as May 2026 will feature an exceptionally rare celestial\nevent. This month will bring not one, but two full moons. The first,\nknown as the Flower Moon, occurred on 1 May. The second, set to grace\nthe night sky on the night of 30 to 31 May 2026, is popularly called a\nBlue Moon.<\/p>\n
What makes this Blue Moon special is that it will also be a\nMicromoon\u2014the smallest and most distant full moon of 2026. This occurs\nwhen the Moon is at apogee, its farthest point from Earth in its monthly\norbit. On 30-31 May, the Moon will be approximately 252,360 miles\n(406,134 km) from Earth, significantly farther than the average\nEarth-Moon distance of about 238,900 miles (384,472 km).<\/p>\n
As a result, the late-May Blue Moon will appear around 7 per cent\ndimmer than a typical full moon and 25 to 30 per cent dimmer compared to\na Supermoon. Although its size will seem slightly smaller in the sky,\nthis change will be barely noticeable to the naked eye.<\/p>\n
The peak of the second full moon will occur on 31 May 2026 at 08:45\nUTC. Due to time zone differences, optimal viewing times vary globally:\nin the Americas, Europe, and Africa, the fullest appearance will be on\nthe evening of 30 May, while in Asia (including Indonesia), Australia,\nand New Zealand, the most aesthetically pleasing moment will be on the\nevening of 31 May.<\/p>\n
Adding to the spectacle, the Blue Moon and Micromoon will appear near\nthe bright star Antares, known as the \u2018Heart of the Scorpion\u2019 in the\nScorpius constellation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-are-the-blue-moon-and-micromoon-on-31-may-2026-1780014231", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }