This month has two Full Moons: May 1 and May 31.
Daily portraits show the Moon at local noon, with north at the top. Main phase times mark the exact moment.
Select a Moon to see it up close. NASA SVS · Moon Lab / NASA LRO
When to look
Look on the night of May 1 into May 2: the Moon rises at 8:16 PM EDT and sets at 5:54 AM EDT. The exact Full Moon is at 1:24 PM EDT that same day, while the Moon is below the horizon. The Moon still looks full all night.
May 1 → May 2 · New York
Follow the curve to see how high the Moon will be and which way to look. Choose a time on the chart or use the slider.
Height above the horizon
Look toward the southeast. The Moon is climbing higher in the sky.
Moonrise: May 1, 8:16 PM EDT. Moonset: May 2, 5:54 AM EDT.
Sunset 7:52 PM EDT · Sunrise 5:52 AM EDT · Near the horizon, the Moon can look warmer in color.
When to look
Look on the night of May 30 into May 31: the Moon rises at 8:13 PM EDT and sets at 5:06 AM EDT. The exact Full Moon comes before sunrise on May 31, at 4:46 AM EDT. You don’t need to catch that minute: the Moon looks full all night.
May 30 → May 31 · New York
Follow the curve to see how high the Moon will be and which way to look. Choose a time on the chart or use the slider.
Height above the horizon
Look toward the southeast. The Moon is climbing higher in the sky.
Moonrise: May 30, 8:13 PM EDT. Moonset: May 31, 5:06 AM EDT.
Sunset 8:19 PM EDT · Sunrise 5:27 AM EDT · Near the horizon, the Moon can look warmer in color.
Around May 9, the Moon appears half-lit. Its illuminated part then diminishes toward New Moon on May 16.
Around May 23, the Moon appears half-lit. It then grows brighter on its way to Full Moon on May 31.
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | May 1, 2026, at 1:24 PM EDT | 8:16 PM EDT | 5:26 AM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | May 1, 2026, at 10:24 AM PDT | 8:03 PM PDT | 5:41 AM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | May 1, 2026, at 6:24 PM BST | 8:45 PM BST | 4:55 AM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | May 1, 2026, at 1:24 PM EDT | 8:48 PM EDT | 5:41 AM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | May 2, 2026, at 3:24 AM AEST | 5:10 PM AEST | 6:48 AM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | May 16, 2026, at 4:02 PM EDT | 4:59 AM EDT | 8:31 PM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | May 16, 2026, at 1:02 PM PDT | 5:19 AM PDT | 8:15 PM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | May 16, 2026, at 9:02 PM BST | 4:17 AM BST | 9:07 PM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | May 16, 2026, at 4:02 PM EDT | 5:11 AM EDT | 9:05 PM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | May 17, 2026, at 6:02 AM AEST | 6:59 AM AEST | 4:58 PM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | May 31, 2026, at 4:46 AM EDT | 9:12 PM EDT | 5:06 AM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | May 31, 2026, at 1:46 AM PDT | 8:50 PM PDT | 5:33 AM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | May 31, 2026, at 9:46 AM BST | 10:05 PM BST | 4:07 AM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | May 31, 2026, at 4:46 AM EDT | 9:48 PM EDT | 5:16 AM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | May 31, 2026, at 6:46 PM AEST | 4:26 PM AEST | 6:40 AM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
No. The phase has an exact time, but the Moon’s shape changes gradually. Near a quarter, it looks half-lit for about a day on either side, and a crescent grows or shrinks only a little from one night to the next.
The Full Moon happens at one moment worldwide, but local clocks put it on different dates. For example, the Full Moon of May 1 in New York falls on May 2 in Sydney.
In New York time, May has two Full Moons: the first, on May 1, is traditionally called the Flower Moon; the second, on May 31, is called a Blue Moon. These names come from North American tradition and follow Northern Hemisphere seasons, so in the Southern Hemisphere they don’t match the season.
