Don’t Miss May’s ‘Blue Moon’ Rise Tonight — Exact Times For Saturday

BreakingInnovationScienceDon’t Miss May’s ‘Blue Moon’ Rise Tonight — Exact Times For SaturdayByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorMay 30, 2026, 12:15am EDTToplineAlthough the Blue Moon officially becomes full in the early hours of Sunday, May 31, the key moment is moonrise just after sunset on Saturday, May 30, when it slowly lifts into the eastern sky. That’s when it looks its most dramatic — larger than usual and tinted orange. This is the second full moon in a single calendar month, a simple quirk of timing rather than color, but it creates one of the most visually rewarding naked eye sights in the night sky. The best views of the full Blue Moon will come when it rises — low, large and glowing orange — just after sunset on Saturday, May 30. (Photo by Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Blue Moon will be officially full at 4:45 a.m. EDT on Sunday, May 31, but the best viewing will be at moonrise on Saturday, May 30.Check the moonrise time for your exact location on Saturday, May 3. In New York, moonrise is at 8:14 p.m. EDT (five minutes before sunset) and in Los Angeles it’s at 7:55 p.m. PDT (three minutes before sunset) — right at the beginning of “blue hour,” when a full moon rising into fading daylight provides dramatic contrast.Look east shortly after sunset to catch the moon climbing into the sky. As it rises, you may see Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, below. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer',...