Look up, North Carolina. A rare ‘blue moon’ event is coming soon. Here’s when
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A blue moon, May’s second full moon, will rise Sunday, May 31 and peak at 4:45 a.m.
- May’s blue moon will be a micro moon occurring about 252,360 miles from Earth.
- The next blue moon after May will not occur again until December 2028, forecasters say.
Folks across North Carolina will have the chance to see the only (and most distant) blue moon of the year — though you may have to wake up earlier than usual.
May’s Blue Moon and micro moon will be visible across North Carolina and much of North America starting late Saturday, May 30, into early Sunday, May 31, according to the Farmers’ Almanac and EarthSky.org.
May will have two full moons; the Flower Moon arrived May 1 and the Blue Moon will grace the skies on the last day of the month.
Here’s what you should know:
When can you see the Blue Moon in NC?
May’s blue moon will rise Sunday, May 31 and is slated to peak at 4:45 a.m., the Farmers’ Almanac says.
Sky gazers are in for an extra treat, too. Those who step outside for a peek will also “spot Venus and Jupiter in the western sky about an hour after sunset,” according to Accuweather.com.
Mars and Saturn will also be visible to the east about an hour before sunrise, forecasters said.
What is a blue moon?
Despite the name, the moon won’t take on a cerulean hue. A blue moon refers to the second full moon in a calendar month, the Farmers Almanac says. This typically happens every two to three years.
The saying “once every blue moon” speaks to its rarity and stems from the event’s original definition: “When four full moons occur in a given season, the third one is known as blue,” according to the almanac.
Blueish-tinted moons aren’t totally impossible, either.
You may spot a literal “blue” moon just before daylight or sunset when large amounts of smoke or dust accumulate high in the atmosphere, “filtering out longer wavelengths of colors such as red and yellow,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
What is a micro moon?
Next week’s lunar event is also a micro moon, or a full moon that that occurs at the furthest point in its orbit from Earth, NASA says. Due to this distance, micro moons tend to appear smaller and dimmer than a normal full moon.
May’s blue moon will be the smallest of the year, occurring about 252,360 miles from Earth, according to EarthSky.com. That’s about 13,400 miles further than the average moon distance, experts say.
When is the next blue moon?
Stargazers have some time before the next blue moon lights up the night sky.
The rare celestial event won’t happen again until December 2028, according to Accuweather.com.