May 2026

Hello and welcome to UT Skywatch!

The moon phases for this month are full on the first, last quarter on the 9th, new on the 16th, first quarter on the 23rd and new again on the 31st. So, we are having what is commonly referred to as a “blue moon,” the second full moon in the same calendar month. Its not actually the color blue. It is simply a fairly rare event as in, “once in a blue moon.”

Venus is climbing into the Western sky at sunset for the next couple of months. It is certainly the brightest planet seen from our planet. Venus is joined by a very tin waxing crescent moon on the 18th.

Jupiter is next up in the evening sky, a bit higher and a bit left of Venus, and is the next brightest planet seen in our Western skies this month. A waxing crescent moon sits between Venus and Jupiter and is just above the largest planet in our solar system.

Saturn is in the morning sky rising around 4:20 a.m. and is joined by a thin waning crescent moon on the 14th.

Mars is rising just a bit after 5 a.m. so is a little difficult to see due to the glow of the morning sun.

The Eta-Aquariid meteor shower peaks on the morning of the 6th but the nearly full moon will make observations a challenge. Just remember though, if you don’t look you surely won’t see anything.