WhatAWeatherVisual calendar
Main events of the month
Eclipses
No solar or lunar eclipses observable this month.
Best night for astrophotography
Best 3 astrophotography nights (no moon or near-new): 15 May, 16 May, 17 May.
Lunar fishing calendar
Good lunar fishing days (full moon +/-1 and new moon +/-1): 1, 2, 15, 16, 17, 30, 31.
Daily table
| Day | Phase | Illumination | Rise | Set | Distance (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full moon Micromoon | 100% | 17:45 | 06:15 | 404,077 |
| 2 | Full moon Micromoon | 99% | 18:33 | 07:03 | 407,054 |
| 3 | Waning gibbous | 97% | 19:22 | 07:52 | 408,858 |
| 4 | Waning gibbous | 92% | 20:11 | 08:41 | 409,395 |
| 5 | Waning gibbous | 85% | 21:00 | 09:30 | 408,639 |
| 6 | Waning gibbous | 77% | 21:48 | 10:18 | 406,628 |
| 7 | Waning gibbous | 68% | 22:37 | 11:07 | 403,466 |
| 8 | Last quarter | 57% | 23:26 | 11:56 | 399,317 |
| 9 | Last quarter | 47% | 00:15 | 12:45 | 394,396 |
| 10 | Waning crescent | 36% | 01:04 | 13:34 | 388,957 |
| 11 | Waning crescent | 26% | 01:52 | 14:22 | 383,282 |
| 12 | Waning crescent | 18% | 02:41 | 15:11 | 377,665 |
| 13 | Waning crescent | 10% | 03:30 | 16:00 | 372,397 |
| 14 | Waning crescent | 5% | 04:19 | 16:49 | 367,751 |
| 15 | Waning crescent | 1% | 05:07 | 17:37 | 363,966 |
| 16 | New moon | 0% | 05:56 | 18:26 | 361,239 |
| 17 | New moon | 1% | 06:45 | 19:15 | 359,711 |
| 18 | Waxing crescent | 4% | 07:34 | 20:04 | 359,461 |
| 19 | Waxing crescent | 9% | 08:22 | 20:52 | 360,503 |
| 20 | Waxing crescent | 16% | 09:11 | 21:41 | 362,782 |
| 21 | Waxing crescent | 25% | 10:00 | 22:30 | 366,180 |
| 22 | Waxing crescent | 35% | 10:49 | 23:19 | 370,521 |
| 23 | First quarter | 45% | 11:37 | 00:07 | 375,580 |
| 24 | First quarter | 56% | 12:26 | 00:56 | 381,097 |
| 25 | Waxing gibbous | 66% | 13:15 | 01:45 | 386,784 |
| 26 | Waxing gibbous | 76% | 14:04 | 02:34 | 392,348 |
| 27 | Waxing gibbous | 84% | 14:53 | 03:23 | 397,501 |
| 28 | Waxing gibbous | 91% | 15:41 | 04:11 | 401,975 |
| 29 | Waxing gibbous | 96% | 16:30 | 05:00 | 405,539 |
| 30 | Full moon | 99% | 17:19 | 05:49 | 408,009 |
| 31 | Full moon Micromoon | 100% | 18:08 | 06:38 | 409,257 |
Night sky guide: May 2026
The lunar calendar for May 2026 provides the complete information for planning night activities driven by the moon: astrophotography, sky watching, fishing, biodynamic agriculture, navigation or simply enjoying the night sky. The moon completes its synodic cycle of about 29.53 days every month, going through new, first quarter, full and last quarter.
In May 2026, the moon alternates between phases visible at different hours. During first quarter and full moon, the moon is in the sky for the first half of the night. At last quarter and the days before new moon, it rises late and is only seen before dawn.
For astrophotographers, the days close to new moon offer the darkest skies, ideal for shooting the Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae and meteors. Conversely, full moon nights are perfect for nightscape photography with natural lighting, historic buildings or the lunar disc itself with a telephoto lens.
The lunar fishing calendar takes advantage of tides and moonlight effects on fish activity. Days near full and new moon are the most productive, especially in coastal and surface fishing. Spring tides, which occur during these periods, move more water and bring nutrients.
The moon influences tides, biological cycles of many species and agricultural folklore. In biodynamic farming, root crops are planted on a waning moon and fruit crops on a waxing moon. Though scientific evidence is limited, it remains a popular practice.