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Every month, WTOP’s Greg Redfern previews the most effective the sky has to supply stargazers concerning the moon, planets and stars in his “Eyes to the Skies” function. Space-related occasions which may curiosity you going down within the D.C. area shall be included as properly.
“Eyes to the Skies” is a recurring function and publishes on the primary of each month. You can discover it on WTOP’s The Space Place. Email Greg your house questions and he would possibly reply them within the subsequent version.
Each month WTOP’s “Eyes to the Skies” function previews the most effective the sky has to supply stargazers concerning the moon, planets and stars. Space-related occasions which may curiosity you going down within the D.C. area shall be included as properly.
Let’s get to the skies for May 2026!
Must-see sky sights for May
Venus dominates the west after sundown all month.
The moon shall be very close to some planets and stars.
The summer time constellations and the Milky Way galaxy are seen after midnight, spanning the sky from the northeast to the southeast getting greater till morning twilight.
A blue moon month.
Star of the month
In May, be looking out for bright star Vega. It marks the onset of summer time constellations when it seems above the horizon about 10 p.m.
Highlights of the month
May 1: The full flower moon happens at 10:12 p.m. Get the particulars on your location by using this website.
May 4: Almost full moon and the star Antares rise very shut collectively within the southeast after midnight.
May 5: The Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower peak takes place within the predawn hours however the shiny moon actually diminishes the bathe. Maybe 10 meteors an hour.
May 13: Remember our star of the month in October, Algol? It is price taking a look at it going to minimal brightness for 2 hours centered at 4:05 a.m., after which getting brighter. Try taking a smartphone/digicam pic or possibly even a video. See the opposite dates this month under.
May 16: Algol once more at 1:54 a.m.
May 18: If you’ve a transparent view of the western horizon at nightfall, search for a really slim crescent moon simply to the correct of Venus. Use Venus as a information to seek out the moon. Definitely price taking an astropic together with your smartphone and/or digital digicam.
May 18: Algol once more at 9:43 p.m.
May 20: If you’ve a transparent view of the western horizon at nightfall, the crescent moon shall be simply above Jupiter. Venus shall be under the pair. You will need an astropic together with your smartphone and/or digital digicam of this lovely lineup.
May 23: Moon and Regulus are very shut collectively after darkish. They draw nearer collectively till moonset.
May 31: The full blue moon is the second full moon of the month and the smallest full moon for 2026. It will rise very near the star Antares within the southeast after midnight.
The moon
May 1: Full flower moon
May 9: Last quarter
May 16: New moon
May 23: First quarter
May 31: Full blue moon
Planets
Mercury is within the west at nightfall beginning to be seen May 22.
Venus is shiny within the west.
Mars is low within the east earlier than daybreak early within the month.
Jupiter is seen after darkish and shiny, excessive within the west.
Saturn is low within the east earlier than daybreak early within the month.
Uranus is within the western sky after darkish. You want a telescope to greatest observe the planet, though it’s seen in binoculars.
Neptune is within the western sky after darkish. You want a telescope to watch the planet.
Pluto is approach on the market within the photo voltaic system and requires taking photos by a telescope spaced days aside to hunt it down.
D.C.-area occasions
Bonus part!
Use this useful gizmo to create a custom star chart on your location that can assist you discover your approach across the stars. While you’re at it, take a look at these other very useful astronomical tools.
And if you wish to plan forward for 2026 sky occasions, right here’s a nifty guide to help.
You also can ship in any house associated inquiries to my e-mail handle. Suggestions about this function are additionally welcome.
Follow Greg Redfern’s daily blog to maintain up with the newest information in astronomy and house exploration.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This web site will not be supposed for customers positioned inside the European Economic Area.
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://wtop.com/the-space-place/2026/05/eyes-to-the-skies-for-may-summer-constellations-visible-as-full-flower-moon-takes-over-the-sky/
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